Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Tries to Block Court From Accessing Cassie Assault Footage; Details
Trigger Warning: The article contains references to rape and abuse.
Sean Diddy Combs has taken legal action to prevent hotel surveillance footage of him allegedly assaulting singer Cassie from being used as evidence in his trial, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
Combs, who faces serious allegations including sex trafficking and racketeering, says that government officials improperly leaked the video to the media. His legal team claims that the leak jeopardizes his ability to receive a fair trial.
Combs’ lawyers accuse the government of misconduct, specifically saying that federal prosecutors and law enforcement disclosed the video evidence to the media in order to influence public opinion.
The video, which CNN published, allegedly shows Combs assaulting, kicking, and dragging Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, during an argument. His defense team believes that the government has conducted a media campaign to incite public hostility toward Combs.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Combs’ attorneys claimed that the video release was part of a seven-month strategy to secure a grand jury indictment. The defense team, represented by attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, contends that the claimed campaign has biased the public and may prevent Combs from having a fair trial.
They are asking the court for an order prohibiting the jury from viewing the video or, if the government is determined to be responsible for the leak, dismissing the charges entirely.
Combs’ legal team is attempting to suppress the video evidence or have the charges dropped if it can be established that the government was behind the leak. Prosecutors argue that the video exposes Combs’ violent tendencies.
The video is expected to be used to bolster Combs’ claim that he broke sex trafficking laws, which require proof that a commercial sex act was forced, fraudulent, or coerced.
The defense has strongly contested the video’s validity as evidence, claiming that the government intentionally ployed to harm Combs’ character by releasing it.
According to the paperwork, “The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason alone: to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations.”
Combs’ legal team also stresses that Cassie, who allegedly received an eight-figure settlement, is unlikely to have leaked the video herself. Instead, they claim that the Department of Homeland Security leaked the video in order to influence the grand jury and public opinion.
In addition to the video suppression, Combs’ legal team filed an appeal on Tuesday, appealing the court’s decision not to grant him bail. The judge earlier dismissed Combs’ request for release, and he is still being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The appeal is Combs’ lawyers’ second attempt to gain his release, claiming that the media coverage of the leaked video is unfairly influencing the case.
Federal prosecutors have charged Combs with running a huge criminal enterprise that engaged in a decades-long practice of violence and sexual abuse.
These charges extend back to 2008, and the government alleges that Combs exploited his influence and business contacts to traffic and assault women. Combs, on the other hand, has always stated that all sexual encounters with his accusers were consensual.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with abuse, please reach out and about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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