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Sean “Diddy” Combs is hoping to be a free man by Thanksgiving.
In his third attempt at being released from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, the sex trafficking charged Bad Boy Records founder is betting large on a November 22 hearing.
“The Government’s response to defendant’s motion is due on November 15, 2024,” said US District Court Judge Arun Subramanian today. “Defendant’s reply is due on November 20, 2024,” he added in the one-page order. “A hearing on defendant’s motion will be held on November 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 15A of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York.”
As he was at the two previous bond hearings on September 17 and 18 in front of Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky and District Judge Andrew Carter, the 55-year-old Combs will be present for the latest session in just over a week.
The result of a November 8 motion filed by the Marc Agnifilo- and Teny Geragos-led defense, this latest effort to post bail for Combs has a little bit extra added to placate the judge.
In addition to the $50 million bond, home detention in Miami or NYC, security lockdown, no internet and more that the defense offered unsuccessfully before, this new get-out-of-jail move seeks to address concerns of the court that Combs could try to intimidate potential witnesses through his staff. “Under the proposed updated bail conditions, Mr. Combs would not have access to ‘employees and friends and the like,’ and would not ‘speak with these employees,’” the latest bond motion document asserts, using some of the Judge Subramanian’s own words.
“For the foregoing reasons, and to ensure a fair trial and protect Mr. Combs’ constitutional rights, the Court should order release on the proposed conditions, or any other conditions the Court deems appropriate,” the 27-page document concludes.
Arrested on September 16 in the lobby of a New York City hotel, the much accused and much sued ‘All About the Benjamins’ performer has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Entering a not guilty plea and immediately put behind bars in pre-trial detention, the rapper could spend the rest of his life in a federal prison if found guilty.
As of right now, Combs’ trial is set to start on May 5, 2025, as Judge Subramanian announced last month. Since then, as the civil lawsuits against the one-tine mogul pile up, there has been more testimony in this criminal case before the Grand Jury. More charges or a superseding indictment could be coming, law enforcement sources say.
Combs and his defense team were delivered a loss last week when Judge Subramanian denied their motion for a gag order on witness and others in both his criminal case and the dozens of civil cases against him. “As to the mounting civil cases against Combs, there are further steps that he can take, including seeking relief in particular cases if the parties or their lawyers have made prejudicial statements to the press, or moving to stay those cases pending the resolution of this one, just to give two examples,” the Judge wrote on November 8. “However, the unprecedented relief that Combs seeks on this motion is unwarranted.”
