Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Lawyers: Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks trial next April or May on sex trafficking charges

In this May 30, 2018, file photo, Sean Combs arrives at the L.A. Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File) In this May 30, 2018, file photo, Sean Combs arrives at the L.A. Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)
Share
NEW YORK CITY -

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs wants to go to trial on sex trafficking charges next spring, lawyers for the jailed hip-hop mogul told a judge on Wednesday.

His preference for a trial in April or May was mentioned in a joint letter in which his lawyers and prosecutors advised a judge about what they expect to discuss at a hearing on Thursday in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors said they will be available for trial but did not specify when they want it to occur.

Combs, 54, has been locked up since his Sept. 16 arrest on charges alleging that he has physically and sexually abused women for years. He has pleaded not guilty.

The indictment alleges Combs coerced and abused women with the aid of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violent acts including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings to keep victims from speaking out.

His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has said prosecutors are seeking to criminalize consensual sex that his client has engaged in.

He has said Combs plans to clear his name at trial.

The letter submitted to Judge Arun Subramanian, who is expected to preside over the trial, contained no mention of continued detention without bail for Combs after two other judges in separate proceedings concluded that no bail conditions could ensure the community would be protected if Combs was released.

Late Tuesday, lawyers for Combs asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan in court papers to reverse the detention orders and permit his release pending trial.

Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr., who has since recused himself from the case, concluded after a lengthy bail hearing three weeks ago that prosecutors had presented “clear and convincing evidence†that Combs is a danger to the community because he might obstruct the ongoing investigation or tamper with witnesses.

Lawyers for Combs, though, argued in their appeals papers that Carter had rejected a proposed US$50 million bail package that would include home detention for “purely speculative reasons.â€

“Indeed, hardly a risk of flight, he is a 54-year-old father of seven, a U.S. citizen, an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman, and philanthropist, and one of the most recognizable people on earth,†the lawyers wrote.

They said Carter had “endorsed the government’s exaggerated rhetoric and ordered Mr. Combs detained.â€

In their joint letter submitted in advance of Thursday's hearing, prosecutors said they have begun turning over to defense lawyers some of the “voluminous†evidence in the case, including portions of several terabytes of material that contains electronically stored information from Combs and others.

Among items already turned over are a complete set of search warrants in the case, along with a phone of Combs that was seized in March and reports on two of his iCloud accounts, they said. Prosecutors told the judge that the government has begun copying over 40 devices and five other iCloud accounts belonging to Combs.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

Local Spotlight

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’