Attorneys for Sean 'Diddy' Combs request spring trial date
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sean Combs wants to stand trial this spring on charges of racketeering conspiracy, forced sex trafficking and prostitution, according to a court filing Wednesday.
"Mr. Combs continues to assert his right to a speedy trial and intends to request a trial date in April or May 2025, and as consistent with the Court's trial schedule," defense attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos wrote in a joint letter to the judge ahead of a court appearance Thursday.
Prosecutors took no position.
"The Government will be available for trial on a date set by the Court, although it remains within the Court's discretion to set a trial date at the outset of the case or at a later time," prosecutors wrote.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, is being held without bail and his attorneys have said they want the case to move quickly.
"The government arrested him, the government wants him detained, and we're going to have to do everything possible to move this along," Agnifilo said during a prior court appearance.
Lawyers fight for music mogul's release on bail
Meanwhile Combs sought to downplay the risk he poses to witnesses as he argued a federal appeals court should release him on bail.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and prostitution charges, is being held in a special housing unit of the federal lockup in Brooklyn after a district court judge determined he could intimidate witnesses and pose a danger to women.
His appellate attorneys sought to convince the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals those concerns are overblown.
"The government's arguments about the risk of obstruction were based on speculation, resting mainly on untested allegations about communications with witnesses in civil cases and communications initiated by supposed witnesses and not Mr. Combs," the attorneys wrote in a filing.
Combs had proposed a $50 million bail package secured by his Miami estate, supervision by private security guards and restrictions on visitors.
The judge sided with prosecutors, who called Combs "a serial abuser and a serial obstructer," but Combs' lawyers said the proposed bail package should be sufficient.
"He traveled to New York to surrender because he knew he was going to be indicted. He took extraordinary steps to demonstrate that he intended to face and contest the charges, not flee. He presented a bail package that would plainly stop him from posing a danger to anyone or contacting any witnesses," the attorneys, Alexandra Shapiro and Jason Driscoll, wrote.
Combs is next due in court Thursday.
A new, one-hour special from ABC News Studios is diving into the shocking arrest of Sean "Diddy" Combs and the downfall of the famous and powerful hip-hop mogul. The primetime special, "Secret Life of Diddy - A Special Edition of 20/20," airs Wednesday on ABC at 10/9c and streams the next day on Hulu.
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