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

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs desires to go to trial on intercourse trafficking expenses subsequent spring, attorneys for the jailed hip-hop mogul instructed a choose on Wednesday.

His desire for a trial in April or Might was talked about in a joint letter during which his attorneys and prosecutors suggested a choose about what they count on to debate at a listening to on Thursday in Manhattan federal court docket. Prosecutors stated they are going to be obtainable for trial however didn’t specify when they need it to happen.

Combs, 54, has been locked up since his Sept. 16 arrest on expenses alleging that he has bodily and sexually abused girls for years. He has pleaded not responsible.

The indictment alleges Combs coerced and abused girls with assistance from a community of associates and workers, whereas utilizing blackmail and violent acts together with kidnapping, arson and bodily beatings to maintain victims from talking out.

His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has stated prosecutors are searching for to criminalize consensual intercourse that his consumer has engaged in.

He has stated Combs plans to clear his title at trial.

The letter submitted to Choose Arun Subramanian, who is anticipated to preside over the trial, contained no point out of continued detention with out bail for Combs after two different judges in separate proceedings concluded that no bail situations might make sure the group could be protected if Combs was launched.

Late Tuesday, attorneys for Combs requested the 2nd U.S. Circuit Courtroom of Appeals in Manhattan in court docket papers to reverse the detention orders and allow his launch pending trial.

Choose Andrew L. Carter Jr., who has since recused himself from the case, concluded after a prolonged bail listening to three weeks in the past that prosecutors had introduced “clear and convincing proof” that Combs is a hazard to the group as a result of he may hinder the continuing investigation or tamper with witnesses.

Legal professionals for Combs, although, argued of their appeals papers that Carter had rejected a proposed $50 million bail bundle that would come with house detention for “purely speculative causes.”

“Certainly, hardly a threat of flight, he’s a 54-year-old father of seven, a U.S. citizen, an awfully profitable artist, businessman, and philanthropist, and one of the recognizable individuals on earth,” the attorneys wrote.

They stated Carter had “endorsed the federal government’s exaggerated rhetoric and ordered Mr. Combs detained.”

Of their joint letter submitted prematurely of Thursday’s listening to, prosecutors stated they’ve begun turning over to protection attorneys a few of the “voluminous” proof within the case, together with parts of a number of terabytes of fabric that comprises electronically saved data from Combs and others.

Amongst gadgets already turned over are an entire set of search warrants within the case, together with a cellphone of Combs that was seized in March and studies on two of his iCloud accounts, they stated. Prosecutors instructed the choose that the federal government has begun copying over 40 units and 5 different iCloud accounts belonging to Combs.