Hip-hop star Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail once again on Wednesday after his lawyers pleaded for his release from “horrific” jail conditions while awaiting trial in a sex trafficking case.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in New York ordered the musician to remain in custody after prosecutors argued he was a “serious flight risk.”
Mr. Combs was arrested earlier this week on charges of running a criminal organization since at least 2008, which allegedly used drugs and violence to coerce women to “fulfil his sexual desires,” according to authorities.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mr. Combs’ lawyers proposed a bail package, which included a $50 million bond co-signed by Mr. Combs, his mother, and other family members. The proposal also included home detention, passport surrender, weekly drug tests, and a nightly visitor log submitted to pre-trial services. However, the judge did not agree to these terms during Wednesday’s hearing.
“My bigger concern is the danger of obstruction of justice and the potential for witness tampering,” Judge Andrew Carter said. “That is a real concern that I have here.”
After the ruling, Mr. Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told reporters that the decision “did not go our way,” but added, “the fight continues.”
A 14-page indictment charges Mr. Combs with racketeering, forced sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution. If convicted of all three counts, the rapper and record producer could face a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
On Tuesday, when U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky asked how he wished to plead, Mr. Combs stood and declared, “not guilty.”
Mr. Agnifilo later revealed that the defense team had already filed an appeal against the judge’s bail decision. “We believe him wholeheartedly,” Mr. Agnifilo told reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse. “He didn’t do these things.”
