Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial Date Stands Firm After Judge Denies Delay Request
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will not receive additional time to prepare for his impending trial, as a judge has rejected his defense team’s plea to postpone proceedings. The ruling, delivered by Judge Arun Subramanian during a hearing on Friday, April 18, ensures the trial remains scheduled for Monday, May 5—a date that coincides with the annual Met Gala. Jury selection is anticipated to commence on May 5, with opening statements expected to begin on Monday, May 12 in the Sean Combs trial.
Judge Rejects Defense’s Motion for Trial Postponement
The decision to maintain the original trial date comes despite a request from Combs’ legal representatives to delay the start by two months. In September 2024, Diddy, 55, faced arrest in New York following a grand jury indictment. The charges include accusations of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation for prostitution. He has entered a not guilty plea to these charges.
Defense Argued for More Preparation Time
Earlier in the week, Diddy’s attorneys submitted a motion to postpone the trial, citing the need for “necessary time to prepare his defense” following a third revised indictment, USA Today reported. The defense asserted that the latest indictment encompassed “substantially new conduct” that prosecutors allegedly possessed evidence of prior to the initial indictment. Furthermore, they claimed evidence related to one count in the indictment was still being produced by prosecutors.
“Under these circumstances … we cannot, in good conscience, go to trial on the scheduled date,” Diddy’s legal team stated in court documents, arguing that the situation was “a problem that the government has created.”
Legal Team Downplays Revised Indictment
Following the third revised indictment, Diddy’s team issued a statement to USA Today, asserting, “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”
Combs Awaits Trial in Custody
Sean Combs has remained in custody since his arrest, with multiple bail requests denied. He is currently ordered to remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, until the trial proceedings begin. While he has appeared in court for hearings in recent months, cameras have been prohibited, keeping his appearances out of public view. Despite his legal predicament, a source informed Us Weekly in December 2024 that Diddy was “fit, healthy and fully focused on his defense” and “remains in good spirits.”