In a hearing taking place in Manhattan, Judge Arun Subramanian announced that Sean Combs' trial for sex trafficking will start on May 5, 2025. This date matches the suggestions made by Combs' legal team earlier this week in court documents. Combs has been in federal custody since September 16, when law enforcement arrested him at the Park Hyatt hotel in New York City. Although Combs and his lawyers anticipated an indictment and arrest, they had hoped to arrange a surrender on their own terms, which did not happen.
After several months of civil lawsuits, investigations, and actions by Homeland Security, a federal grand jury charged Combs in September with forcible sex trafficking, transporting prostitutes, and racketeering. Combs has pleaded not guilty. During today's hearing, prosecutors informed the judge and those present that there may be a new indictment, meaning some charges could be dismissed, replaced, or new ones could emerge from the ongoing investigation.
The government claims that Combs and his associates forced women into long sexual encounters, referred to as "Freak Offs," with male prostitutes. They allege that these women were sometimes drugged, threatened, or physically prevented from leaving the hotel rooms where these events occurred. Some of these encounters were reportedly filmed and used for blackmail.
Another important issue discussed in today's hearing is that Combs is appealing the repeated denials of his bail, which has kept him in the harsh conditions of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His defense offered a $50 million bond and home detention, arguing that concerns about witness tampering are not based on solid evidence.
After two unsuccessful attempts to secure his release, a new part of Combs' defense team filed an appeal this week, hoping for a third chance at pre-trial release. Simultaneously, in response to today's events, Combs' lawyers are challenging the case put forth by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. They have requested a judicial hearing regarding alleged "unlawful government leaks" from the Department of Homeland Security, which they claim were meant to damage Combs' reputation before a trial. They pointed to a video shown by CNN in which Combs appears to assault a former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel corridor in 2016. The lawyers argued that the leak of this tape was intended to harm Combs’ case.
They are asking for a hearing to either suppress the video evidence or dismiss the charges. However, recent developments suggest they may not succeed in this effort.
The U.S. Attorney’s office stated that they did not provide CNN with the damaging surveillance footage. They shared an email sent to Combs' lawyers on October 9, indicating that the Department of Homeland Security did not have the video before CNN aired it. The U.S. Attorney's office clarified that only the government can obtain grand jury materials, and the video was not obtained through this process.
Shortly after Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in late November 2023, claiming abuse and rape, it was reported that he paid her around $30 million to settle the case. Despite reaching a settlement, Combs continued to deny that he mistreated Ventura. When a video from 2016 surfaced in May, Combs quickly apologized and expressed shame. However, Ventura's lawyers and others did not accept his apology. After Ventura's brief legal case late last year, multiple women and a producer from Combs' latest album came forward with civil lawsuits, accusing him of abuse, drugging, threats, and sexual assault.
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