Trigger Warning: This article mentions sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution
A federal judge granted a minor legal relief to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on Tuesday, November 19, saying he will not consider evidence obtained by prosecutors during a sweep of the music mogul’s jail cell at his upcoming bail hearing. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian directed the prosecution to dispose of copies of 19 pages of notes taken from Diddy’s cell. This came after his lawyers argued in a Monday filing that the seizure violated attorney-client privilege.
Judge Subramanium ruled that the court would retain the original papers while prosecutors and Diddy’s lawyers submit briefs on the issue over the next few weeks.
Prosecutors, per various media reports, have accused Combs of trying to influence witnesses from behind the bars of Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he has been incarcerated since his September 16 arrest on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs was arrested this fall and charged with sex-related crimes that prosecutors allege were enabled by his power in the music industry as a record label founder, CEO, and established rapper. Prosecutors claim he used his influence and public image to exploit and abuse women.
Combs has denied all charges against him, including the prosecution’s latest allegations of witness tampering from jail. According to NBC News, his legal team fired back at prosecutors on Tuesday, accusing the government of committing an “egregious, willful, and harmful breach of attorney-client privilege” by seizing papers from his jail cell that had no business being in the hands of authorities.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Combs, 55, per People, appeared without shackles but remained in olive prison garb. NBC News reported that the disgraced musician and producer seemed to have lost weight. According to both outlets, Diddy smiled as he entered the courtroom and hugged his attorneys but grew grim as the hearing progressed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said the papers—11 pages and eight pages from a calendar book—included Combs’ notes about paying off witnesses and gathering incriminating information on victims. “A witness was paid off, and finding dirt on two different victims is not privilege,” Slavik argued.
She informed the judge that, on October 14, Combs allegedly called a family member to coordinate with someone who is not a lawyer about finding intel on an accuser.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo demanded to know how prosecutors obtained the papers and requested surveillance footage showing the action in Combs’ cell. He argued that the incident could mark a significant turning point in the case, potentially leading to the dismissal of the indictment or at least the recusal of the current prosecution team.
Slavik countered that the alleged evidence was obtained during a search conducted as part of a planned sweep to address contraband and drugs. She stated that no member of the prosecution team was aware of or responsible for the seizure, as it was carried out by the Bureau of Prisons.
A Bureau of Prisons investigator testified at Tuesday’s hearing that the search was part of an ongoing court investigation and that the materials were received in an appropriate manner.
Combs is scheduled for a third bail hearing on Friday, November 22.
If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence, assault, or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO, or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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