RAPPER AND PRODUCER SEAN DIDDY COMB’S TRAIL DATE

The rapper and producer, who has been in jail since his September arrest, is accused of transporting sex workers over state borders to participate in recorded sexual performances known as “freak offs”.The trial was set by a US judge on Thursday at a federal court hearing in Manhattan. The 54-year-old rapper, also known as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, gave his mother and kids hugs as he was being led into court.On September 17, Combs entered a not guilty plea to a three-count indictment against him. The indictment accused Combs of utilizing his business empire, which included the record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to transport sex workers—both male and female—across state borders so they could participate in “freak offs,” or recorded sexual performances. If found guilty of the three charges against him—racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution—he may receive a term of up to life in prison and a minimum of 15 years. During his third court appearance following his September arrest, Combs was informed that his trial would begin on May 5.The prosecution will present its case in court for at least three weeks, prosecutor Emily Johnson informed the judge. According to Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo, the defense will take about a week to complete. Since his arrest, the hip-hop entrepreneur has been housed at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. On Thursday, he showed up in court wearing a tan prison uniform before US Marshals Service agents took him out a side door. On Thursday, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan dismissed his plea for an early release from custody while he challenges the decision of a different court to refuse him bail.That appeal will be heard at a later time by a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit. Prosecutors have accused Combs of luring women with drugs like ecstasy and ketamine, financial support, or assurances of professional support or a love relationship in connection with the counts he faces. Prosecutors claimed that Combs then used the covert recordings of the sex acts as “collateral” to get the women to keep quiet and occasionally brandished firearms to frighten witnesses and victims of abuse. Despite being accused of physically abusing women, Combs is not expressly accused of engaging in unwelcome sexual contact with them in the indictment. Mr. Agnifilo has referred to the prosecutors’ account of the sexual activity as consenting. On Wednesday night, Mr. Agnifilo questioned in a court document Mr. Agnifilo requested that the judge issue a “gag order” on Wednesday night, which would forbid federal agents and prosecutors from sharing any information with the media. Citing what he described as illegal disclosures, Mr. Agnifilo showed a 2016 video of Combs hitting and dragging a lady. Ms. Johnson described the proposal as an attempt to “exclude a damning piece of evidence” from the hearing. While acknowledging that the prosecution would have no trouble upholding their duty to keep secret evidence private, she suggested the defense need to be held accountable for the same. Concerns were also expressed by Ms. Johnson regarding Mr. Agnifilo’sclaim that the lawsuit is a “takedown of a successful black man” in an interview published in September with the entertainment news source TMZ. She stated.