Diddy offers $50 million bail with new evidence after Judge Arun Subramanian denies gag order
Sean “Diddy” Combs is proposing a new $50 million bail package, backed by his Florida mansion which was raided by the FBI, in hopes of winning his release from Brooklyn jail, where he’s been held for eight weeks on criminal sex trafficking charges.
The move comes after multiple bail denials, with concerns about witness tampering weighing strongly in the decision. Meanwhile, Combs’ legal team faced a setback Friday when a judge denied their request for a gag order to silence potential witnesses in the case, citing the importance of free speech rights for the alleged victims.
Diddy rolls out $50 million bail proposal
Disgraced music mogul currently facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and multiple sexual assault cases, is once again seeking bail with revised terms and new evidence as his trial looms in 2025. Like previous requests, this latest proposal includes a $50 million bond, secured by the equity in Combs’ and his mother’s Florida homes, according to USA Today.
In newly filed federal court documents, Combs’ attorneys have added additional conditions to counter claims that he is a flight risk, “insisting that he poses no danger to society.” They challenge the strength of the government’s evidence, arguing that the charges are thin and that they are not as substantial as they have been portrayed.
The defense also shows new proof they think weakens the government’s argument, especially when they say it doesn’t back up the claim that a 2016 video of Combs hitting his ex-girlfriend was connected to a forced “freak off” event. Instead, the legal team insists, it shows just a short part of a complicated but agreed-upon relationship that lasted years.
Additionally, Combs’ lawyers argue that the conditions he is enduring inside the prison are infringing upon his constitutional rights, particularly his ability to participate in his defense.
What’s inside Diddy’s updated terms and conditions for bail
According to court documents obtained by USA Today, Diddy’s legal team is requesting bail, maintaining his not-guilty plea. The proposed conditions include round-the-clock monitoring by approved security personnel, “restricting his access to the internet and phone except during legal consultations, and limiting visitors to a pre-approved list of close family members.” Additionally, the rapper and his family would surrender their passports.
The bail proposal also suggests that Combs is open to being placed under full home detention, either at his $48 million Miami residence or at another appropriate location in New York.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gag order denied
After Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the Southern District recently ordered a Jane Doe, who accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of “heinous conduct” from roughly twenty years ago, to disclose her identity, a federal judge issued a related ruling on Friday. Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ request to impose a gag order on potential witnesses in his criminal sex trafficking case, affirming that his concerns do not override the free speech rights of alleged victims.
“Not all alleged victims will be participants in this case, and a blanket restriction on their speech will silence individuals who may never have anything to do with the proceedings here,” the court ruling says according to CNN. “And in any event, less restrictive alternatives must be considered and rejected before imposing a restraint on speech.”
Combs’ lawyers asked for a rule to keep potential witnesses and their lawyers from talking about it outside of court after over a dozen lawsuits about sexual assault were started and a witness talked to a news outlet after they gave their testimony to a grand jury.