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By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sean “Diddy” Combs will stand trial on federal intercourse trafficking and racketeering costs beginning on Could 5, a U.S. choose determined throughout a listening to on Thursday, and the jailed hip-hop mogul blew kisses to his household within the courtroom afterward.
Throughout the listening to earlier than U.S. District Choose Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal courtroom, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo additionally raised issues about what he termed improper leaks by federal brokers concerning the case. Prosecutor Emily Johnson referred to as the declare baseless.
Combs, 54, pleaded not responsible on Sept. 17 to a three-count indictment charging him with utilizing his enterprise empire – together with file label Dangerous Boy Leisure – to move ladies and male intercourse employees throughout state strains to participate in recorded sexual performances referred to as “Freak Offs.”
Thursday’s listening to marked a 3rd courtroom look for Combs since his September arrest.
Carrying tan jail garb, Combs stood and blew kisses towards his members of the family seated within the courtroom’s viewers after the listening to ended. His mom and kids attended the listening to, protection lawyer Anthony Ricco stated in courtroom. Combs was then led out a aspect door by members of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Johnson instructed the courtroom the prosecution’s case on the trial will final no less than three weeks. Combs’ protection case will final round one week, Agnifilo stated.
Combs has been jailed on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn since his arrest. His attraction of one other choose’s determination to disclaim him bail is pending.
The rapper and producer faces a sentence of as much as life in jail and a minimal of 15 years if convicted of the three counts he faces: racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking and transportation to have interaction in prostitution.
Prosecutors stated Combs enticed ladies by giving them medication similar to ketamine and ecstasy, monetary assist or guarantees of profession assist or a romantic relationship.
Combs then used the surreptitious recordings of the intercourse acts as “collateral” to make sure that the ladies would stay silent, and generally displayed weapons to intimidate abuse victims and witnesses, prosecutors stated.
The indictment contained no allegation that Combs himself straight engaged in undesirable sexual contact with ladies, although he was accused of bodily assaulting them.
Agnifilo has referred to as the sexual exercise described by prosecutors consensual.
In a courtroom submitting on Wednesday night time, Agnifilo requested Subramanian to impose a “gag order” prohibiting prosecutors and federal brokers from disclosing proof to the media. Agnifilo cited what he referred to as illegal leaks that included a videotape exhibiting Combs placing and dragging a girl in 2016.
On the listening to, Johnson referred to as the protection request an try to “exclude a damning piece of proof.” She stated prosecutors would don’t have any downside affirming their obligations to not disclose confidential proof to the press, however stated the protection ought to be certain by that as properly.
Johnson additionally raised issues about Agnifilo’s assertion in a September interview with leisure information outlet TMZ calling the case a “takedown of a profitable Black man.” She stated the remark amounted to an accusation that the federal government was “partaking in a racist prosecution.”
“Statements of this kind significantly threat a good trial on this case,” Johnson stated.
Subramanian requested Agnifilo to suggest an order that may govern public statements by each side.
(This story has been corrected to say ‘have interaction in prostitution,’ not ‘prosecution,’ in paragraph 8)
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