Sean “Diddy” Combs who is currently facing serious allegations, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution-related crimes made his first appearance in federal court on Thursday, October 10, 2024, in Manhattan.
This marks the first time Combs has been in court since being arraigned on these charges. During the proceedings, Combs remained composed, dressed in tan prison attire, and was seen waving to family members in the courtroom before hugging his legal team.
Trial date: Following Thursday’s court proceedings, a judge announced that Combs’ sex trafficking trial is set to begin May 5, 2025. Recall that we published earlier that his legal team submitted a request seeking his trial to be moved up to April or May next year.
Diddy’s September 16th arrest and charges stem from an indictment filed on September 17, where federal prosecutors claim Combs was involved in orchestrating “freak offs,” described as elaborate sex performances. These events allegedly forced or coerced women into participation, involving male sex workers.
Prosecutors revealed that a substantial amount of digital evidence had been seized from Combs’ devices. They expect it will take about a month to extract all the data, calling the volume of evidence “extraordinary.” This could potentially lead to more charges being filed once the data review is complete.
As part of the ongoing legal battle, Combs’ legal team filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to secure his release on bail before trial. However, this appeal follows two previous rulings that denied bail over concerns he might interfere with witnesses.
Combs, who has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges, remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He will remain there unless the appeal is successful, which could see him released before the trial date in May 2025.
Related: Judge Orders End to Bail Requests as Diddy Seeks Trial Next Year in Sex Trafficking Case
The indictment against the Bad Boy Records founder also references surveillance video from a Los Angeles hotel. Prosecutors presented video evidence allegedly showing Combs assaulting a woman, identified as singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. In the footage, Combs appears to throw an object at her before kicking her.
This video became public in May, with CNN originally reporting on the incident. Cassie had previously filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November, accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Combs’ legal team has accused the federal government of leaking this footage, seeking to have the video concealed due to its damaging nature. The attorneys argued that the leak has led to negative media coverage, affecting Combs and his family.
In response, prosecutors denied leaking the footage, stating that they did not have possession of the video at the time of its release. They clarified this in a court filing on October 9, noting that the video surfaced before it was obtained by the federal government.
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