NEW YORK (Court TV) — Sean “Diddy” Combs is due back in court Friday for his third attempt to convince a judge in his federal sex trafficking case that he deserves bail.
Federal prosecutors argue Combs should remain in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center while he awaits trial, arguing he’s a threat to potential witnesses and accusers. Combs’ lawyers accuse prosecutors of exaggerating and spinning evidence to support unsubstantiated allegations that Combs is tampering with witnesses.
FILE -Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs participates in “The Four” panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
MORE | Judge bars prosecutors from using notes from Diddy’s cell for now
Combs pleaded not guilty in September to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and interstate transportation to engage in prostitution. He is accused of using his star power and the resources of his business empire to coerce women into participating in drug-fueled orgies with male sex workers known as “freak-offs.”
Two other judges ordered Combs held without bail after his arrest in September based on prosecutors’ claims that he was in “constant contact” with a grand jury witness and an alleged victim before his arrest. Since his arrest, prosecutors allege Combs has continued contacting witnesses and alleged victims from jail through third parties using “subversive” and unauthorized means, including other inmates’ phone accounts, third-party messaging apps and three-way calls.
Prosecutors tried to rely on evidence from notes in Combs’ cell, which allegedly mention efforts to get “dirt” on witnesses and alleged victims. Judge Arun Subramanian blocked their efforts in a last-minute hearing Tuesday because of concerns about potential violations of attorney-client privilege.
As evidence of Combs’ alleged “dangerousness,” prosecutors cite the infamous video that allegedly shows Combs chasing and beating longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
But Combs’ lawyers say new revelations gleaned from the exchange of evidence suggest prosecutors “altered” the video and edited it to make a toxic lovers’ quarrel look like a domestic violence incident. In a motion filed late Thursday, Combs’ defense said they have a forensic video analyst on standby to testify in Friday’s hearing about the alleged alterations.
