Sean 'Diddy' Combs gets trial date in sex trafficking case
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A May 5 trial date was set Thursday for hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs to face sex trafficking charges.
Combs appeared before Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court on Thursday afternoon. After entering the courtroom, he hugged each of his lawyers. He was not handcuffed. Dressed in tan attire, he smiled and blew kisses to his children. Six of his seven children in court today, as well as his mother
The trial is estimated to last about a month but prosecutors said the length could change because more charges could be added.
While Subramanian set May 5 as the trial date, the judge indicated that could change with a superseding indictment.
"Our investigation is very much ongoing," Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said. The possibility of a superseding indictment could affect the length of the trial, she added.
The judge also set deadlines for lawyers on each side to submit arguments that will establish the boundaries for a trial that Combs' lawyers want to start in April or May. He set another date for Combs to appear in court in December, though he said lawyers may decide it is not necessary.
The judge said he will issue an order restricting what both sides can say publicly about the charges or the investigation.
Combs' attorneys said he will stay at the Metropolitan Detention Center, and is no longer requesting a move to another jail in Essex County, New Jersey.
"We're making a go of the MDC," attorney Marc Agnifilo said. "MDC has been responsive with us."
Johnson said 96 electronic devices were seized in raids in March. They said 51 devices were taken from Combs' Los Angeles mansion, 36 devices that same day from his Miami estate and nine were taken from Combs himself during a search while he was at a private airport in Florida.
Authorities subsequently seized Combs' phone the night of his arrest and seized three additional devices following a search of his Midtown hotel room.
Eight devices seized in Miami contained over 90 terabytes of information, which the prosecutor called "extraordinary" as she explained delays in extracting some information for technological reasons. She said his devices were either newer sophisticated technology or too old.
"The government's ability to decrypt those devices is constantly evolving," Johnson said.
Johnson also said the government served Combs' company, Combs Global, with a subpoena the same day as the home raids on March 25. The company is still turning over records.
Bail was not discussed in court Thursday, that will be before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Earlier this week, lawyers for Combs asked the panel reverse the bail findings, saying the proposed bail package "would plainly stop him from posing a danger to anyone or contacting any witnesses."
(ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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," aired Wednesday on ABC at 10/9c and streams Thursday on Hulu.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
