Sean “Diddy” Combs might have finally struck a win in court last week, but he likely won’t be home for Turkey Day.
Combs is currently being held without bail in a Brooklyn jail as he awaits trial on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was arrested two months ago and will likely spend Thanksgiving behind bars. Diddy currently resides in a dorm facility, which houses around 20 inmates, according to The New York Post, but they will still enjoy some kind of feast.
The inmates will be served turkey roast or hot and sour tofu when lunch is served at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28. Their menu also includes cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, turkey gravy, two dinner rolls with margarine and even assorted holiday pies, not to be confused with Patti’s Pies.
Alternative meals include a chicken breast sandwich, a chickpea burger or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with potato chips.
In a recent court filing Monday, Diddy shocking compared himself to Donald Trump, noting the similarities in the president-elect’s election interference case, where he used his broad free-speech rights under the First Amendment.
The eight-page document noted that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in December that Trump’s team argued, “Only a significant and imminent threat to the administration of criminal justice will support restricting [Mr. Trump’s] speech.”
Diddy’s complaint continues, “Because Mr. Combs is a criminal defendant and is presumed to be innocent he had a greater constitution claim than other trial participants including counsel to criticize and speak out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty.”
“Accordingly, the Court should apply Trump’s heightened standard when considering Mr. Combs’ speech here.”
Combs has also been accused of orchestrating a brazen “PR campaign” by using his family members to create social media posts to create sympathy such as by celebrating his 55th birthday on Nov. 4. The prosecution claims he used an app that is forbidden by the Bureau of Prisons to engage in “unauthorized communications” in addition to using other inmate’s phone accounts for three-way phone calls, which is also forbidden.
The defense responded, pushing back against the “false and outrageous claims” made against Diddy by “government agents, plaintiffs’ attorneys, and others with questionable motives” over the last few months in a separate court document. Prosecutors also accuse Diddy of planting negative stories about the victims and accusers in the case.
“This nonstop drumbeat of negative publicity has destroyed his reputation and will make it virtually impossible for him to receive a fair trial,” his lawyers stated.
As he awaits the judge’s ruling on his fourth bail hearing, during a third bail hearing on Friday, Nov. 22, the disgraced music mogul proposed yet another set of strict conditions that would allow for a judge to release him from jail since issuing his not guilty plea.
According to the New York Post, Diddy’s lawyers requested that he be released on a $50 million bond and confined under house arrest at his three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan.
However, two judges have claimed that Diddy poses an “extreme danger to the community” and to the victims as the prosecution claims he’s liable to engage in witness tampering. Therefore, his proposal to be detained at that location or his house on Star Island in Florida were denied. He would be allowed no visitors.
“The defendant, simply put, cannot be trusted,” said prosecutor Christine Slavik during a court hearing last week. “He’s left no doubt that he cannot comply with conditions.”
The prosecution also has distrust in copies of Combs’ notes that were copied from Diddy’s cell in late October. The 55-year-old defendant’s legal team made the argument that the jail cell raid was a violation of his constitutional rights.
Prosecutors said they were not notified of the raid prior to it happening and that it was carried out by an investigator with the Bureau of Prisons. While in an attempt to clean out any contraband, including weapons or drugs in the cell, the investigator also took photos of 19 pages of Diddy’s personal notes that were marked “legal,” and copies of his to-do list, which ended up in the hands of prosecutors.
They believe the documents were important for an ongoing covert grand jury investigation as they seek to bring new additional charges against the three-time Grammy winner for witness intimidation.
Diddy’s team told the judge that the raid goes against attorney-client privilege and violates the client’s Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. Therefore, copies of almost 20 pages of material were thrown out and cannot be used during Combs’ next bail hearing this week.
Last week, prosecutors also filed a motion to deny Diddy’s request for a bail hearing, stating that the Bad Boy Records founder has “continued to try to evade law enforcement monitoring, corruptly influence witness testimony, and further attack the integrity of these proceedings.”
They accused Diddy of paying other inmates to use their phone access for three-way phone conversations with people who are not on his approved contact list.
According to People, court documents show prosecutors accuse Diddy of having a conversation with one of his adult sons to get in contact with witnesses and potential victims to strategize ways of getting the jury in his favor.
While much of the conversation with one of his sons is redacted in the documents, prosecutors said the call, “provides the clear inference that the defendant’s goal is to blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or providing testimony helpful to his defense.”
Fans responded to the news of Diddy’s recent win with mixed reactions on the Morning Juice Box TV’s repost of the report with few assuming, “Diddy should call for a mistrial cuz what. Theres no such thing as destroying that type of evidence. That’s like reading someone diary and having to pretend you didnt read what you read. Smh you can’t unsee or unread lol.”
Some even suspected Judge Arun Subramanian was more involved in the case.
“Maybe the judge was on the list,” one person suggested, while another questioned, “Um…aren’t those notes part of evidence? Maybe it has the judge’s name in those notes.”
On his comparison to Trump, one person said, “Really? Now he’s quoting Trump as if that makes him innocent of all charges and worthy of bail. I don’t think so!”
Another wrote, “He thought he was untouchable. He must be going crazy in that cell.”
Whether or not Diddy is guilty is still up for public debate, but it’s up to the courts to determine his punishment. However many are tired of the misleading headlines as well as recent reports about prosecution allegedly editing the released video of Diddy beating then-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway.
“They need to get it together! I believe Diddy may be guilty as hell, but don’t play dirty. Let his deeds speak for themselves. No need to do all that extra s–t.”
Combs has pleaded not guilty to his three charges after he was arrested at a New York City hotel in September. The arrest came after a federal raid took place at his homes in Los Angeles and Miami where sex videos and paraphernalia were seized as well as over 1,000 bottles of lubricant.
The prosecution has until noon on Nov. 25 to submit information detailing how Diddy’s been able to communicate with others while incarcerated and what types of communication he is allowed.
No ruling on this latest bail hearing has been issued as of this writing. Diddy’s trial is slated to start in May.
