According to Judge Arun Subramanian‘s Wednesday ruling, Sean “Diddy” Combs will stay behind bars until his May 2025 trial. The Southern District of New York judge explained in court documents obtained by CNN that his decision was based on the hip-hop star’s possible witness interference and clear violations of jail rules.
“The court finds that the government has shown by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” Subramanian determined.
The music industry titan has remained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. Diddy has maintained his innocence against federal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Earlier requests for bail were shot down by several judges who shared concerns about Diddy potentially intimidating witnesses if released. TMZ first broke the story, noting that his rule violations involved attempted outside communication.
This update follows last week’s claims by Diddy’s legal team that federal prosecutors had obtained “attorney/client-privileged material, including the defendant’s own written notes.” According to a letter from his defense lawyers, “This search and seizure are in violation of Mr. Combs’ Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights,” which they argue constitutes “outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation.”
During Friday’s bail hearing, significant time was spent comparing Diddy’s situation with the similar sex trafficking case of former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries, particularly examining why they received different treatment (Jeffries got $10 million bail, while Diddy offered up to $50 million).
The rap mogul attended Friday’s bail hearing downtown with his family, including his children and mother. His team pointed out that while he sat unrestrained in court, this could unfairly suggest guilt to potential jurors.
At last Tuesday’s proceedings, Judge Subramanian ruled that prosecutors couldn’t use the 19 pages they photographed during their raid of Diddy’s cell for the bail hearing, as they’re considered trial preparation. The judge hasn’t yet decided whether these can be used in the trial. This marked Subramanian’s first time officially presiding over the case, which continued into this week.
Adding to his legal troubles, Diddy faced fresh unrelated lawsuits last week alleging violent sexual assault. His federal trial remains scheduled for May 5, 2025.
SL RECOMMENDS
Like most websites, Socialite Life uses affiliate links where available, which means we earn a little commission if you click through and buy something. Also, as Amazon Influencers, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Last update on 2024-11-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
