Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking his release from prison in the High Court.
Combs’ attorneys filed a notice of appeal Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York’s Second Circuit Court of Appeals. According to court filings obtained by USA TODAY, the Bad Boy Records mogul asked the Court of Appeals to overturn Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr.’s Sept. 18 ruling denying his request for release under the following conditions: He is seeking a judgment on the matter. $50 million bond.
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Combs for comment.
Mr. Combs was arrested on September 16 and charged the next day with sex trafficking, extortion, and transportation on prostitution charges, and is being held in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He has maintained his innocence in a spate of civil lawsuits over the past year, pleading not guilty to all charges.
Why did the judge deny Didi bail?
Prior to this appeal, Combs lost two bids for bail. The first judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Tarnofsky, supported the U.S. attorney’s argument that Combs would be in danger if released for home detention.
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“Given what I have very serious concerns about, especially what appears to be substance abuse and anger issues, I don’t believe a lawyer has the ability to control you,” Combs said. Tarnovsky told his attorney, according to a review of court records. America today.
“I think the risk is pretty serious,” she added of Combs’ release, saying the bail his team offered guarantees “his return to court, the safety of the community, and the absence of witness tampering.” I decided that it was not a thing.
In a Sept. 18 letter to Judge Carter, Combs’ attorneys announced that Combs was being held on a $50 million bond secured by the equity in his and his mother’s home in Florida. He requested that he be released from detention. detained by the government. The letter also said Combs, his daughters and their mother had submitted their passports to a lawyer.
After Carter upheld Tarnofsky’s Sept. 17 ruling against Combs, one of Combs’ attorneys, Mark Agnifilo, vowed to appeal the ruling.
“I have told Mr. Combs that we intend to bring the case to trial as soon as possible,” he said outside the courthouse on September 18. I believe that the living conditions in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center are extremely difficult and inhumane. ”
Legal experts weigh in: Why Diddy is ‘fighting for his life’ on sex trafficking charges
Why was Didi arrested?
The morning after his September 16 arrest, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York released a 14-page federal grand jury indictment, revealing an extensive and ongoing federal investigation into the hip-hop icon. Investigators said the 54-year-old man used his financial power and position in the entertainment industry to “satisfy his sexual desires” and elaborated a pattern of abuse that “recurred and was widely known.” He said he had planned it.
In a Sept. 17 letter to a judge arguing that Combs should be jailed until he stands trial, U.S. Attorney Damien Williams said his office had “no legal liability for his serial abuse.” “We have evidence from dozens of witnesses and victims and dozens of his own testimonies.” his own electronic devices and those of his co-conspirators. ”
Investigators seized more than 90 cell phones, laptops, cloud storage accounts, and at least 30 storage devices. They issued more than 300 grand jury subpoenas to obtain this evidence from telecommunications providers, tech and social media companies, financial institutions, and Combs companies.
Corroborating eyewitness accounts, prosecutors say Combs’ so-called “freak-offs” – sex performances between sex workers and people allegedly forced to participate through drugs or intimidation, sometimes lasting several days – have been published. He is said to be in possession of the “10” video.
Combs’ indictment alleges that Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Combs’ home on March 25th to collect 1,000 bottles of drugs, baby oil and lubricants that were allegedly used to “assault” Combs. The company says it has procured more than that. Multiple AR-15 rifles and high-capacity magazines were also found.
Agnifilo said in TMZ’s documentary “The Fall of Diddy: The Indictment” that Combs is expected to testify at trial, adding, “I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep him off the stand.”
He also questioned the number of baby oil bottles that investigators allegedly seized during raids on Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes in March, and said Combs’ “weirdoes” were just a “threesome.” insisted.
As for the possibility that Combs would take a plea deal if offered by his U.S. attorney, Agnifilo said, “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), Hotline.RAINN.org, and Spanish at RAINN.org/es.