Diddy's Lawyers Push for House Arrest at Mogul's $48.5M Florida Mansion With 'Very, Very Rigorous Condition'
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team suggested house arrest at a luxurious Upper East Side apartment as they sought bail for the sex trafficking and racketeering accused hip-hop mogul, who was recently jailed in anticipation of his trial.
His request during a court hearing on Friday was the third time Diddy has sought to be released while his trial is pending.
According to The Daily Mail, Diddy's lawyers argued that the terms of the house arrest he could be subjected to would be even stricter than the ones he is currently under at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The defense argued he would live in a three-bedroom apartment with monitoring around the clock from two live-in security guards and a third guard downstairs. They listed conditions that stripped him of phone or internet access, aside from communication with his attorney.
"This is a very, very rigorous set of conditions," said Diddy's attorney Marc Agnifilo. "It is certainly tougher than his life in prison."
During the hearing, however, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian was not convinced of that proposal.
He shot down the notion of Diddy doing house arrest at his $48.5 million Star Island home in Florida, adding, "That's not going to work."
The prosecutor, Christy Slavik, recommended not granting bail, as Diddy had allegedly tried to contact witnesses while he was in prison. She cited a birthday post from Diddy's children that went up on Instagram recently, saying that it had been arranged with him from jail and that he had made a mockery of the law.
"The defendant has demonstrated either he cannot or he will not follow rules," Slavik said. "The defendant, simply put, cannot be trusted."
During the hearing, evidence was introduced of a 2016 incident in which Diddy allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
According to Slavik, the incident is said to be part of a long history of violence and alleges that Diddy has been running a "decade-long criminal enterprise" that involved drug-fueled sex parties.
Meanwhile, Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations made against him and is set to appear in front of a jury in May 2025. However, his lawyers have applied to have the case dismissed. Previous requests for bail had been refused, including one for a $50 million bail package that involved all-hours monitoring.
Revoked Judge Subramanian then asked for more details to be provided about 'Diddy from prison' communications and has said it all needs to be done by November 25.
Diddy arrived in court in a prison-issued outfit, but he was not shackled after his lawyers argued such restraint would detract from the dignity of the court. He smiled when he noticed family members in the gallery, including his mother and several children.
While the fight continues in court, Diddy's lawyers are still looking for a way to get the house arrest proposal accepted so that he can wait for trial, not behind bars.
