Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Date Likely to Be Pushed Beyond May 2025: Here’s Why
Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs resides at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his arrest in September 2024. He pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Now, he has a trial date set. But a former federal prosecutor says they expect that date might change. Here’s why.
A former federal prosecutor explained why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial date might change
Sean “Diddy” Combs entered jail in September 2024 following his arrest. Judges denied him bail multiple times despite his legal team offering to keep Combs monitored around the clock at his home. Now, Combs officially has a trial date set for May 5, 2025. According to DailyMail.com, prosecutors predict the case will take three weeks, but Combs’ legal team says they’ll only need about one week.
So, will Combs head to trial as early as the spring of 2025? Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told Law&Crime Network that Combs’ trial will likely get pushed. If a “superseding indictment” is filed, the case will get pushed. A superseding indictment could involve minors.
“Minors present a completely different set of circumstances,” Rahmani said, according to DailyMail.com. “We know through his lawyers, Combs is arguing that the sexual activity happened, but it was consensual. Of course, for sex trafficking, you need one of those elements: force, thought, or coercion. Obviously, minors cannot consent to any sexual activity, so that would be a very different defense entirely.”
Rahmani added that having minors involved in the case would be a “game changer.”
“The defense would have to be the activity didn’t happen at all and that the individuals are lying, so that’s going to be a potential game changer if we get minors wrapped up in the potential superseding indictment,” he said.
Over 100 alleged victims came forward after Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ arrest
Tony Buzbee, the lead attorney in numerous civil plaintiffs against Sean “Diddy” Combs, said over 100 alleged victims came forward as of early October 2024. As for why the plaintiffs decided to file now, Buzbee said the “indictment” and the bail denial likely had something to do with it.
“We had several cases before the indictment. We were just kind of waiting to see what the federal government was going to do,” Buzbee explained to the Law&Crime Network. “… Then, when the indictment came about, and then when the arrest occurred, and then when bail was denied, I think those events led to more and more calls. … In about a 10-day period, we got about 3,200 calls. From the press conference we had yesterday, we had 12,000 calls in about 24 hours.”
“We believe victims,” Buzbee added. ” … This is a safe space for you.”
Janice Smalls Combs broke her silence regarding her son’s arrest
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice Smalls Combs, remained in the courtroom on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Sketches showed she kept her sunglasses on. Before the announcement of his trial date, she spoke out to DailyMail.com about the “public lynching” of her son.
“I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs,” she stated through her lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers. “It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.”
“To bear witness [to] what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words,” the statement continued.
Combs’ mother added that she knows her son isn’t “perfect.” However, she also feels people are hoping to make financial gain from Combs’ case, “not justice.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
