Sean 'P Diddy' Combs is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges and he is also facing a number of lawsuits
A New York judge has rejected Sean 'P Diddy' Combs' request for a gag order to be implemented in his sex trafficking trial.
The 54-year-old music mogul is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, transportation, and engaging in prostitution.
Diddy has denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty in court. His attorneys had requested a gag order be put in place to prevent government officials from leaking information to the media, but this was rejected by Judge Arun Subramanian, according to new court documents.
While Judge Subramanian denied the request, he did adopt another order and insisted federal agents, investigators and Diddy's legal team must follow the laws forbidding them from leaking grand jury proceedings that can stand in the way of a fair trial.
"To be clear, this order isn’t based on a finding that there has been any wrongdoing thus far, as the Court has made no findings at this juncture relating to defendant’s allegations that information related to the case has been leaked," Judge Subramanian wrote on Friday in court documents obtained by Page Six.
He continued: "The point of this order is to help ensure that nothing happens from now on that would interfere with a fair trial." The judge said the court will "take appropriate action for any violation of the rules".
The ruling comes after Diddy's attorneys asked for the judge to impose a "gag order on participants" that "substantially interfere with Mr Combs' right to a fair trial". In court documents obtained by The Mirror US, Diddy's attorneys said: "Mr Combs has a constitutional right to a fair trial, free from the influence of prejudicial statements in the press."
They continued: "To protect a defendant's constitutional rights, courts have an independent obligation to avoid the creation of a 'carnival atmosphere' in high-profile cases." Combs' lawyers pointed out: "In high-profile cases, there is a particularly high risk of prejudice. And in cases that received far less press attention than this one, courts exercised their discretion to impose gag orders on participants."
They had also requested the court "issue a special order governing such matters as extrajudicial statements by parties and witnesses likely to interfere with the rights of the accused to a fair trial".
Combs' attorneys said in the court documents that he has been the "target of an unending stream of allegations by prospective witnesses and their counsel." They described statements made about their client as "inflammatory" and said they have been "aimed at assassinating Mr. Combs' character."
The court documents continued: "Witnesses' lawyers have also vouched for the credibility and character of their clients and opined on the potential evidence. Several of these lawyers have made shockingly prejudicial and false allegations of sexual assault and abuse of minors, the details of which need not be repeated.
"Some have even peddled in outlandish conspiracy theories." Combs' lawyers argued these statements should be prohibited as they threaten Combs' right to a fair trial.
Diddy's trial is expected to begin on May 5, 2025. He has been denied bail and will remain in prison until then.
In addition to the federal charges against him, Diddy has been hit with a slew of civil lawsuits filed by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee. The lawsuits include alleged victims who have come forward with allegations of rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault. Diddy has denied all allegations in the lawsuits.
Buzbee claims to have 120 individuals in total who are planning to sue Diddy. Responding to the announcement of the lawsuits, Combs' attorney Erica Wolff said: "We cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors."
She concluded: "He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation."
In a second statement about the lawsuits. Diddy's attorneys told The Mirror US: "The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman."
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