Diddy Appeals Judge’s Ruling Denying $50M Jail Release Bond
Sean “Diddy” Combs is escalating his efforts to be released from jail by appealing to a higher court. On Monday, Sept. 30, Combs’ legal team filed a notice of appeal with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. According to USA TODAY, the Bad Boy Records founder is seeking a ruling that would overturn Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr.’s Sept. 18 decision, which denied his release on conditions that included a $50 million bond.
Combs, who was arrested on Sept. 16 and arraigned the following day on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution, has been held in the Special Housing Unit at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. Throughout the past year, he has faced numerous civil lawsuits and has consistently maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges.
Prior to this appeal, Combs had unsuccessfully sought bail twice. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky previously ruled against his release, agreeing with U.S. attorneys that Combs would pose a risk under home detention.
“I don’t believe that counsel has the ability to control you, given the very significant concerns I have, particularly because of substance abuse and what seem like anger issues,” Tarnofsky said to Combs and his attorneys, according to a court transcript reviewed by TMZ. “The danger, I think, is quite serious,” she added, noting that the proposed bond package did not “assure his return to court or the safety of the community, or a lack of witness tampering.”
In a Sept. 18 letter to Judge Carter, Combs’ attorneys requested his release on a $50 million bond, secured by the equity in his and his mother’s Florida homes, citing his voluntary submission to authorities. The letter also mentioned that Combs, along with his daughters and mother, had surrendered their passports to his legal team.
After Carter upheld Tarnofsky’s Sept. 17 ruling, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo promised to challenge the decision. “I told Mr. Combs I’m going to try and get his case to trial as quickly as possible,” Agnifilo said outside the courthouse on Sept. 18. “I’m going to try to minimize the amount of time he spends in very very difficult and I believe inhumane housing conditions in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Facility.”
In recent news, a newly published memoir, claiming to be written by Sean “Diddy” Combs’ late ex-girlfriend Kim Porter, has been labeled as “fake” by Combs’ attorney. Porter’s family is also “exploring” legal action, according to a report from PEOPLE.
