Combs’ attorney also argued that having his client shackled during court proceedings “interfere[s] with the accused’s ability to communicate with his lawyer” and goes against the “respectful treatment of defendants.”
The latest motion filed comes as Combs is due to appear in court on Tuesday, Nov. 19, on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
In court documents filed on Friday, Nov. 15, and obtained by PEOPLE, prosecutors accused Combs of violating jail rules by influencing a potential jury while incarcerated in Brooklyn via a “non-authorized third-party messaging service.” They further claimed he used the service to communicate with multiple people and enlisted his children to start a “social media campaign” around his birthday, among other efforts.
These allegations come after Combs was denied his latest motion for bail filed on Friday, Nov. 8, when he claimed that new evidence should allow him to be released before trial.
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In the motion for bail obtained by PEOPLE, Combs’ lawyers referred to the initial indictment against the rapper which centered on his alleged “freak offs.” His lawyers cited a March 2016 video from the indictment which allegedly showed the Bad Boy Records founder assaulting a woman in a Los Angeles hotel.
“The video is not evidence of a coerced ‘freak off,’ but rather a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship between Mr. Combs and Victim 1,” Combs’ attorneys claimed in the motion.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorneys previously proposed a $50 million bail package.
Combs’ trial is scheduled for May 2025.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
