"That is not going to work": Judge in Diddy case immediately rejects lawyers house arrest plea
Musician Diddy's request to be placed under house arrest on a private island pending trial was recently denied by a judge. This happened when the musician and his legal team appeared in New York City court on Friday, November 22.
According to the Lawyer Monthly's November 23 report, his attorneys suggested that he be held in his Florida mansion on Star Island, which federal officials seized in March.
They further added that he should have two guards stationed inside the three-bedroom mansion and one guard outside. Moreover, it was also tated that the rapper would only be allowed to communicate with his legal representatives and would not be allowed to use the internet or phone services.
Additionally, every phone call would be managed by the assigned security team. However, as per the Mirrors’ November 23 report, the U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian immediately dismissed the attorney's plea and said:
“That’s not going to work.”
Diddy’s bail request has also been denied three times
According to the rapper's legal team, allowing Diddy to stay under house arrest would impose "substantially more restrictive" terms than his present state at the prison. Additionally, the legal team suggested that family visits might be permitted, but only with prior consent before the trial.
They stressed that in light of "new evidence and circumstances," this arrangement would allow the Grammy Award-winning performer to get ready for his impending trial. They also stated that the rapper would not have access to a boat while under house arrest, even though his residence had a dock.
However, the request was promptly denied by the judge, who said it would not be successful. In addition, the prosecution claimed he had been communicating with witnesses from the jail, which raised doubts that he would carry out his alleged activities outside of it. According to the court documents, as part of their inquiry, they further examined phone data.
Nevertheless, when the prosecutors acknowledged looking through Diddy's "personal notes," which they said showed his conversations with witnesses, their case became weak. The defense team for the singer argued that these notes shouldn't have been examined because they were private documents acquired during a raid on his cell.
After the defense asked for an immediate hearing regarding the matter, the judge decided that these materials should be destroyed, so that they could not be utilized in further proceedings.
The court appearance happened after Diddy's legal team filed for four bail requests since his September 16 arrest, out of which three have already been denied by the judge.
A $50 million bond, primarily secured by Diddy's home equity, was part of his initial bail package. The prosecutors have also recently issued a warning about his "concerted effort" to sabotage the case from behind bars.
According to the prosecution, the "risk of obstruction and dangerousness" that he poses to others, cannot be lessened by any bail restrictions. All these things happened after Combs has recently been charged with repeatedly breaking jail regulations, attempting to sway witnesses, and contaminating the jury pool.
The rapper is currently awaiting trial on allegations of abuse and s*x trafficking. In addition to s*x trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, he has been charged with racketeering conspiracy.
According to the court indictment, the singer allegedly committed a persistent and pervasive pattern of s*xual, physical, and verbal abuse against women. The document further stated:
“To do so, Diddy relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, s*x trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
Diddy is presently jailed at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison infamous for its brutality and subpar treatment of its inmates.
