Sean 'Diddy Combs' lawyers file appeal seeking pretrial release as experts claim trial won't be before 2026
Diddy lawyers have filed an appeal asking for the rapper to be released from jail ahead of his trial.
The rapper, 54, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York following his arrest on September 16. The music mogul is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has already been denied bail twice but his lawyers are trying again.
According to People Sean ‘Combs’s lawyer Alexander A.E. Shapiro has now filed paperwork with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit asking for Combs to be freed until his case gets to court.
The documents - obtained by the publication were filed Tuesday October 8 - state: Diddy “was not released pending trial, even though he offered to comply with restrictive conditions that would have prevented any conceivable risk of flight or danger [The court] rejected a plainly sufficient bail package [and] violated its obligations under the Bail Reform Act.
"Mr. Combs is presumed innocent. He travelled to New York to surrender because he knew he was going to be indicted. He took extraordinary steps to demonstrate that he intended to face and contest the charges, not flee.
"He presented a bail package that would plainly stop him from posing a danger to anyone or contacting any witnesses. Under the Bail Reform Act, 'liberty is the norm, and detention prior to trial or without trial is the carefully limited exception'.”
Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was denied $50 million bail and is currently being held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.
The star was first denied bail on September 17 and his team quickly filed an appeal, but this second attempt to be granted bail was denied a day later on September 18.
During the second hearing, Judge L. Carter of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York said: "There is no condition or combination of conditions to ensure he will not obstruct justice or tamper with witnesses."
Diddy’s next court date has been set for October 10. However, according to experts at Deadline “with the appeal the defence put forth Tuesday, it will be unlikely this case goes to trial before 2026.”
Natalie Dixon is NationalWorld’s Lifestyle reporter. If you liked this article and want to read more about celebrities, fashion, beauty and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here.