Sean “Diddy” Combs will not be released on bail until Thanksgiving, a federal judge ruled Wednesday while accusing the hip-hop mogul of violating and seeking ways to circumvent prison rules since his arrest.
In a five-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that Combs should not be released on $50 million bail proposed by his legal team, saying Combs posed a “serious risk of witness tampering” and that he had been found guilty of escape. rules, such as paying other inmates for their phone passcodes to call people not on his own approved contact list.
“His willingness to circumvent (Prison Board) rules in a manner that would make it more difficult to monitor his communications is strong evidence that the Court cannot be reasonably assured of the sufficiency of any condition of liberation,” Subramanian ruled.
The decision closed the third attempt by Combs’ lawyers to have him released during his criminal trial.
In the latest motion, his lawyers requested that instead of jail, he be confined to his three-bedroom apartment on New York’s Upper West Side, with 24-hour surveillance.
In their motion, Combs’ legal team argued that the apartment would be “much more restrictive” than what Combs faces in prison, and that the arrangement would include limiting phone calls to attorneys only, allowing only specific family members and lawyers to visit him. , and being monitored by an independent firm.
But Subramanian rejected the request.
“Given the nature of the allegations in this case and the information provided by the Government, the Court doubts the sufficiency of the conditions that trust Combs and the individuals in his employ – such as a private security service – to comply with the conditions ” he said. wrote.
Combs faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. In court records, federal prosecutors say the 55-year-old founder of Bad Boy Entertainment used his employee network and influence to attract female victims and used force, threats, coercion and drugs to get them to engage in sexual acts with prostitutes.
The sexual frenzies that sometimes lasted several days were described by Combs as “freak-offs,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors opposed Combs’ attempts to release him on bail, alleging that Combs continued to attempt to tamper with witnesses and violated jail rules.
In his ruling, the judge found that federal prosecutors had “demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions would reasonably ensure the safety of the community” and that Combs still posed “a serious risk of tampering with witnesses”.
Subramanian also highlighted the infamous security video of Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, saying the video showed “compelling evidence of Combs’ propensity for violence.” .
In his ruling, the judge also highlighted what he called “misrepresentations” by Combs’ attorneys during an emergency hearing on Nov. 19.
During the hearing, Combs’ legal team argued that notes on legal pads seized from Combs’ cell during a sweep at the Metropolitan Detention Center should be considered confidential because the pads -notes were labeled “legal”.
Photos taken during the scan, however, showed that the notebooks did not have such labels.
“The circumstances of this incident and the false statements made at the November 19, 2024 hearing at which Combs was present determine whether the Court can be reasonably assured that the conditions it imposes will be complied with,” he wrote .
