Prosecutors in Diddy's ongoing s*xual misconduct trial have denied illegally seizing his personal items from his jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. As mentioned in a legal filing available online, the mogul's lawyers argued that the prosecutors possess photographs of 19 pages of Diddy's notebook and an address book, among other things.
The legal filing was made on Monday, November 18, and according to the BBC, the notebook contains handwritten notes pertaining to potential witnesses and defense tactics. However, Diddy's lawyers argued that parts of the materials in question are privileged information that falls under the attorney-client privilege.
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Diddy's lawyers demand a hearing to determine who authorized the search and seizure of his personal effects
According to ABC News, the federal judge, Judge Arun Subramanian, ruled against using the material until he decides whether or not they are protected by the attorney-client privilege. He made the ruling in a Manhattan federal court.
Per HipHopDx, Combs has been accused of making "relentless efforts" to "contact potential witnesses, including victims of his abuse who could provide powerful testimony against him… [T]he defendant’s goal is to blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or providing testimony helpful to his defense.”
Allegedly, he has been doing this by using the other inmates' phone time to ring up those not on his pre-approved contact list. As reported by the outlet, the music mogul has also been instructing his family to contact said witnesses. Per HipHopDx, a government filing reads:
"[Diddy has been] using PAC [phone access code] numbers belonging to other inmates to make calls; using three-way calls to contact other individuals, including individuals who are not on his approved contact list; and using an unauthorized third-party communication system to send messages to numerous individuals, including unauthorized contacts.”
Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, has pleaded not guilty to several charges involving s*xual misconduct, including coercing and abusing men, women, and children, over decades.
Diddy's lawyers contend that the seizure was "targeted," and that it was a complete violation of Diddy's "Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights." The filing goes on:
“This is a matter of grave concern that, most respectfully, must be addressed immediately.”
The filing then proposed the following:
"The defense therefore requested that the Court hold a hearing to assess, among other things, who authorized a search of Mr. Combs' cell, determined which materials should be seized, and provided the materials to the Government."
Per BBC, prosecutor Mary Slavik said at the hearing "The information at issue is not protected." They contended that such information was enough grounds to be considered obstruction of justice, and therefore, should not be protected under the attorney-client privilege. They also claimed that the photographs were passed through a filter team to decide if any details should be redacted or can be used.
Per ABC News, Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo said he was unaware that the prosecutors were in possession of such materials until he saw them cited in the prosecutors' written arguments against his proposal for a $50 million bail.
Combs was arrested in September in a Manhattan lobby. He has since been hit with a litany of charges, and his bail has been denied several times. He awaits his day in court behind bars, with his trial slated for May 2025.
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