By Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is appealing a federal judge’s decision to keep him in jail while he awaits trial on sex trafficking charges, his lawyers announced Monday.
Combs’ legal team filed a notice of appeal in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter’s ruling that denied the rapper’s request for pretrial release.
The 54-year-old Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since pleading not guilty on September 17 to charges of using his “power and prestige” to coerce female victims into drugged-up sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed “Freak Offs.”
Judge Carter rejected a defense proposal that would have allowed Combs to be placed under house arrest at his Florida mansion with GPS monitoring and strict limits on visitors. The plan included a $50 million bail offer, which Carter deemed “insufficient” to ensure community safety and the integrity of the case.
“No condition or set of conditions for Combs’ release could guard against the risk of him threatening or harming witnesses,” Carter stated in his ruling.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, had initially suggested moving his client to a jail in Essex County, New Jersey, citing concerns about conditions at the Brooklyn facility, which has been plagued by violence and poor living conditions. Agnifilo later abandoned this proposal.
“We believe the judge’s decision is overly restrictive and fails to consider less severe alternatives that would ensure Mr. Combs’ appearance in court and the safety of the community,” Agnifilo said in a statement following the appeal filing.
The case has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with Diddy facing serious allegations that could potentially end his decades-long career in music and business.
Combs is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on October 9. As the legal process unfolds, the music industry and Combs’ fans await further developments in this high-profile case.
