US district judge Arun Subramanian has set a precedent for handling the lawsuits against Sean Diddy with utmost strictness never allowing the pop mogul, accused of sexual exploitation among many other charges, to walk out of jail on bond. On Friday, the judge rules against Comb’s request to push back the start of his federal trial by two months after its scheduled May 5 date.
Combs’ attorneys made the original request in a motion filed April 16 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to court documents.
Combs was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking racketeering. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office say Combs used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024. Combs’ lawyers say the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked Subramanian to delay the trial because he needed more time to prepare his defense to new charges brought on April 4. Agnifilo also said the defense needed more time to review emails it wants an alleged victim to turn over.
Judge Arun Subramanian and Diddy case so far
In October 2024, Subramanian was assigned to preside over Combs’ case following the recusal of Judge Andrew L Carter Jr, who had indicated he might reallocate the case due to scheduling conflicts. The reassignment provided Combs’ legal team with a fresh opportunity to pursue bail, but that did not happen as Subramanian denied Comb’s third and fourth bail citing “compelling evidence” of Combs’ propensity for violence and a “serious risk of witness tampering.”
On October 10, 2024, Subramanian set the trial date for May 5, 2025, establishing a clear timeline for the proceedings. He later outlined a pretrial schedule, with jury questionnaires starting April 28, 2025, jury selection on May 5, and opening statements on May 12
