Combs says he is unable to prepare for trial from jail

9/11/2024 6:13

        Sean "Diddy" Combs on Friday
        proposed a new $50 million bail package backed by his Florida
        mansion that the music mogul hopes will win his release from the
        Brooklyn jail where he has been held for eight weeks on criminal
        sex trafficking charges.
        
        Combs has been denied bail three times since his arrest,
        with multiple judges citing a risk that he might tamper with
        witnesses. The rapper and producer on Sept. 17 pleaded not
        guilty to charges that he used his business empire including his
        record label Bad Boy Entertainment to transport women and male
        sex workers across state lines, to take part in recorded sexual
        performances called "Freak Offs."
        
        In another development on Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun
        Subramanian, who oversees the criminal case, denied Combs'
        request for a gag order barring his accusers from speaking
        publicly about the matter. His lawyers had argued that the
        approximately 30 civil cases accusing Combs of misconduct or
        abuse were interfering with his right to a fair trial.
        
        Combs, 55, has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have
        argued that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was
        consensual.
        
        In a court filing on Friday, defense lawyer Alexandra
        Shapiro asked Subramanian to release Combs on the $50 million
        bond, which would be backed by his $48 million Miami home and
        co-signed by several of his family members.
        Shapiro also proposed that Combs be monitored around the clock
        by security personnel, be subjected to home detention, and have
        no contact with alleged victims or witnesses. His trial is
        scheduled for May 5.
        In seeking bail, Shapiro said new evidence undermined part of
        the prosecution's justification for detaining Combs. She said
        the evidence shed new light on a 2016 hotel surveillance video
        of him physically assaulting former girlfriend Casandra Ventura,
        known as Cassie.
        
        "The video is not evidence of a coerced 'freak off,' but
        rather a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long
        consensual relationship," Shapiro wrote.
        
        Shapiro also said it is impossible for Combs to prepare for
        trial from behind bars because of the "incredibly voluminous"
        amount of material to review, especially without a laptop
        computer. She also said his preparation has been stymied by
        conditions at the jail, including frequent lockdowns and even
        officers taking away the pens he uses to take notes.
        
        Detention is stripping Combs of "any real opportunity" to be
        ready for trial, violating his rights under the U.S.
        Constitution, Shapiro said.