Sean Combs’ request to overturn a previous ruling denying him launch on bail has been turned down, a courtroom has dominated.
U.S. District Decide Andrew Carter on Wednesday ordered Combs, also referred to as “Diddy,” to stay detained after he pleaded not responsible to intercourse trafficking and racketeering costs. He’ll keep at Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn, the place an inmate was murdered whereas awaiting trial this summer time.
“I find that the government has carried its burden of persuasion,” Carter mentioned. He discovered that Combs may try to illegally tamper with the case, continues to current a security danger to others and should resolve to flee to escape prosecution.
This got here after the federal government unsealed a three-county indictment accusing Combs of crimes associated to an alleged decades-long sample of bodily and sexual violence in opposition to folks in his orbit. Federal prosecutors charged him with intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy for guiding an unlimited legal enterprise by way of which he assaulted and trafficked girls with the assistance of his numerous enterprise associates from at the least 2008. He was additionally charged with transportation to interact in prostitution.
If convicted, Combs, 54, faces a compulsory minimal time period of 15 years in jail and most sentence of imprisonment for all times. He attended the listening to in a black t-shirt with members of his household within the gallery behind him.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Robyn Tarnofsky on Tuesday ordered his continued detainment till trial, saying, “My concern is that this is a crime that happens behind closed doors.” She cited the facility imbalance between Combs and his alleged victims.
Combs had sought launch on a $50 million bond, secured by fairness in his Miami residence and that of his mom. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, had recommended house detention with GPS monitoring.
As well as to these phrases, Combs’ lawyer had additionally proposed taking away his telephones and entry to the web and having a personal safety firm stationed at Combs’ residence in Florida to monitor him.
He additional proposed limiting guests to his adjoining Florida properties to household, property caretakers and associates who’re not thought-about co-conspirators to the alleged legal enterprise. The one feminine guests to his own residence could be household or the moms of his youngsters, he added, however Agnifilo mentioned the courtroom may additionally approve the general checklist of holiday makers. Combs additionally pledged not to contact grand jury witnesses, endure weekly drug testing and supply a guests log.
“This combination of conditions will reasonably assure Mr. Combs’ appearance in Court and protect the Government’s and the Magistrate Judge’s stated concerns with respect to the safety of the community,” Agnifilo wrote in a Wednesday submitting.
The choice to detain Combs whereas he awaits trial largely swung on whether or not he continues to pose a security danger and can return to courtroom for additional proceedings.
Throughout Wednesday’s listening to, Carter pointed to a video that confirmed Combs in 2016 assaulting Casandra Ventura in a lodge.
Agnifilo, who mentioned that Combs has since sought therapy for drug and alcohol dependancy, portrayed the incident as a home dispute between companions unrelated to the intercourse trafficking cost.
“What’s love got to do with that?” Carter replied, citing violence depicted within the video that he mentioned is “quite disturbing.”
The federal government has argued that Combs tried to intrude within the prosecution by reaching out to witnesses, together with one who obtained a grand jury subpoena, and victims. Lately, Combs and his associates allegedly contacted potential witnesses within the investigation and directed them to lie in an try to conceal his alleged crimes. Throughout one of many calls, which occurred simply three days after he was sued by Ventura final yr, the mogul reportedly requested for the sufferer’s “friendship” and advised her she “ain’t got to worry about nothing else” if she went alongside together with his model of occasions.
In response, Combs claimed the conduct doesn’t represent obstruction of justice since he’s entitled to question witnesses to defend himself.
“As part of that defense, he, with counsel’s blessing, has called potential defense witnesses to let them know that counsel would reach out to speak with them,” Combs acknowledged in a letter to the courtroom. “Tellingly, the Government does not point to—nor can they—any conversation Mr. Combs has had with a potential witness since he had knowledge of the criminal investigation where he pressured any witness to change their story.”
Replying to arguments that he may resolve to flee, Combs harassed that his sons, mom and sister, amongst others, signed onto his proposed bond as assurance that he’ll return to courtroom and that his passport had been taken by his lawyer, as had the passports of his members of the family.
In a press convention after the listening to, Agnifilo mentioned he desires to get the case to trial as quickly as potential, however that his group is “considering our next steps” following the bail denial.
“He believes he’s innocent. I believe he’s innocent,” Agnifilo mentioned of the case.