Some major developments are happening in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking case.
Source: Variety / Getty
The disgraced music mogul will make his first appearance before the judge who is expected to preside over his trial on sex trafficking charges, according to reports from AP. Diddy will reportedly be transported from a Brooklyn jail to Manhattan federal court on Thursday, Oct. 10 to appear before Judge Arun Subramanian.
This upcoming hearing is expected mean deadlines being set for lawyers on each side, which decides when they need to submit arguments that will establish the boundaries for a trial. While Combs’ lawyers have expressed that they want the trial to begin in April or May, prosecutors have not set a preference for timing.
After another judge recused himself based on his past associations with lawyers in the case, Judge Arun Subramanian was assigned.
This news comes as Combs’ legal team claims in legal docs that the federal government–specifically the Department of Homeland Security–“orchestrated” leaking the video of Diddy violently assaulting Cassie in a hotel lobby.
According to reports from TMZ, new legal documents see the Bad Boy founder’s attorneys accusing the feds of misconduct in his criminal case, allegedly orchestrating the leak of the footage to CNN.
Combs’ lawyers claim that on May 17, the day they published the Cassie video, a correspondent from CNN reached out to member of Diddy’s team to seek comment prior to publishing.
As for why they think the Department of Homeland Security is the source of the leak, his attorneys point out that DHS agents were often quoted in news stories about the Diddy raids and investigation. Combs’ legal team also pointed out that Cassie was not a likely source for the leak because her lawsuit against her ex didn’t make it seem like she had the tape, plus, following their settlement, she had no motive to leak it.
In those same docs, Diddy’s team also accuses the feds of being overly brutal while conducting the raids of his homes, accusing federal agents of handcuffing his kids.
Just last week, during his stay at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Diddy received a visit from his daughters, Jessie and D’Lila, and his mom, Janice Combs, last week, according to TMZ. Combs spent time with the 17-year-old twins and Janice in a visiting area, during which they were able to hug and talk while being supervised by the jail staff.
According to the outlet, this very emotional visit was what prompted Janice to speak out, publicly, in defense of her son. Combs, who has been charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution, pleaded not guilty to the charges last month.
