Diddy in court today: Judge sets trial date

NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court Thursday after being held at a Brooklyn jail on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

After entering the courtroom, he reportedly hugged his lawyers before smiling and speaking with them.

Since his arrest on Sept. 16, Combs’ legal team has been working tirelessly to secure his release on bail and get him out of what they’ve described as a “hell on earth” jail.

During the hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian set deadlines for lawyers on both sides to submit arguments that will establish the boundaries for a trial that Combs’ lawyers want to start in April or May.

Diddy trial

Combs is scheduled to go on trial on May 5 for sex trafficking charges. 

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed last month based on allegations dating back to 2008.

Will Diddy be released?

Two judges have concluded that Diddy would be a threat to the community if released. 

At a bail hearing three weeks ago, a judge denied a $50 million bail offer, which included home detention and electronic monitoring, after deciding that Combs could interfere with witnesses and obstruct an ongoing investigation.

Combs’ lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the judges to overturn the bail decisions. 

They argued that the proposed bail package would effectively prevent him from being a danger or contacting witnesses. They also urged the court to dismiss the lower court’s decision, claiming the judge had accepted the government’s exaggerated claims and ordered Combs’ detention.

In a blistering 3-count indictment, Diddy is accused of running an enterprise to fulfill his sexual desires. 

From around 2008 and for years, he allegedly assaulted women by striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects, and kicking them. 

The indictment claims he operated under “The Combs Enterprise,” which includes Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises, and Combs Global, involving individuals and activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce.

It also details Diddy’s “Freak Off parties,” where he and his associates allegedly lured female victims and then coerced them into sex acts with commercial sex workers.

Diddy faces racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution charges. 

Diddy, 51, also faces potential litigation in a handful of civil suits and one criminal lawsuit.