Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer wants out of sex-trafficking case, says can't continue under any circumstances
A lawyer in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking case requested to step down from the legal battle Friday.
Anthony Ricco and Combs' legal team submitted a motion for the attorney to be removed from the rapper's counsel less than three months before the trial is set to take place.
"Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice," Ricco wrote in the motion obtained by Fox News Digital.
The attorney noted there were "sufficient reasons" for the "brevity" of his withdrawal that are related to "protections afforded by the attorney/client privilege."
Jay-z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sexual Assault Accuser Drops Lawsuit
Ricco's departure from the case does not impact Combs' legal team, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. The team remains "intact and fully engaged."
Read On The Fox News App
"This motion for withdrawal of counsel, if granted, will not result in a delay of the present schedule for the commencement of jury selection and trial, or the present schedules for briefing of pre-trial legal issues," Ricco added in the legal document. "As a result, there will be no lapse in representation, as Sean Combs will continue to be represented by five other attorneys of record."
The request must be approved by Judge Arun Subramanian.
Combs' trial is set to begin May 5.
Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News
The prosecution expects the government's case to take three weeks to lay out, while Combs' legal team estimated needing one week to argue the rapper's defense.
A superseding indictment has been filed against Combs, which prosecutors previously said could lengthen the trial.
Prosecutors filed the superseding indictment on Jan. 30, adding new details to the public record but no new charges. The new indictment, obtained by Fox News Digital, claimed the racketeering conspiracy actually began in 2004 and ran until 2024. Two additional victims were also added, although they remain anonymous as "Victim-1," "Victim-2" and "Victim-3."
Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter
Combs was originally charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution in an indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, 2024. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Authorities alleged Combs ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used "firearms, threats of violence, coercion, and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" to fulfill his sexual desires, according to the unsealed indictment obtained by Fox News Digital.
WATCH: SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS DEFENSE TEAM'S ONLY HOPE IS TO MAKE SEX ACTS APPEAR CONSENSUAL, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS
Combs and his employees would "intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into the rapper's orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs allegedly then used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that Combs referred to as, among other things, 'Freak Offs.'"
Lawyers for Combs denied the allegations and have maintained the rapper is innocent.Original article source: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer wants out of sex-trafficking case, says can't continue under any circumstances
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
9 minutes ago
- Fox News
Dozens of anti-ICE rioters arrested in LA as Trump sends in National Guard to quell violence
Dozens of protesters have been arrested following a weekend of violence across Los Angeles as tensions hit a boiling point over immigration raids throughout the city. On Sunday, law enforcement officials from multiple agencies arrested 41 protesters as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations spiraled out of control. Of the nearly four-dozen arrests, 21 were made by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), 19 by California Highway Patrol and one by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The charges include failure to disperse, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, looting and arson, an LAPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Of the most violent alleged offenses, one individual was arrested for attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, Fox News Digital has learned. On Saturday, the LAPD arrested 10 individuals for failing to disperse. The agency did not make any arrests Friday, according to officials. The California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The arrests come as the sanctuary city is bracing for the possibility of more violence as anti-ICE protesters clash with local, state and federal law enforcement. The protests kicked off on Friday after federal agents swept through the city's garment district in search of undocumented immigrants, sparking outrage throughout the community. In response to the unrest, President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to the area, with 300 troops arriving over the weekend. "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California," Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday morning. "If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated." Tensions escalated on the third day of protests as agitators moved throughout the city, setting self-driving cars on fire and blocking off major highways. National Guard troops took to the streets Sunday morning to guard the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. As the protesters approached the guard members, additional uniformed officers began shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. The LAPD began firing off rounds of crowd-control munitions in an effort to disperse the protesters, who then advanced onto the 101 Freeway and proceeded to block traffic until state police cleared the roadway by late afternoon. Additionally, demonstrators set at least four self-driving electric vehicles on fire, resulting in large explosions being heard throughout the chaos along with intermittent flash bangs going off periodically. By Sunday night, local police had issued an unlawful assembly order, effectively shutting down the area throughout downtown Los Angeles. "Demonstrators have marched to the LA Live area and are blocking all lanes of traffic on Figueroa and 11th St," the LAPD posted to X. "An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the Downtown Los Angeles area. You are to leave the area immediately." Trump's move to send in the U.S. military has drawn criticism from local and national politicians, with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom renouncing the move while vowing to sue the administration. "This is about authoritarian tendencies," Newsom said in a statement. "This is about command and control. This is about power. This is about ego. This is a consistent pattern. This guy has abandoned the core principles of this great democracy. He's threatening to go after judges he disagrees with, cut off funding to institutions of higher learning, he's rewriting history and censoring historical facts." Newsom arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday evening to meet with state officials and oversee the response to the anti-ICE demonstrations. ICE said in a Saturday post on X that the agency had arrested 118 illegal immigrants throughout Los Angeles, including five alleged gang members. "Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?" Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for Homeland Security's public affairs, said in a statement. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Representatives for Bass' administration did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Flight passengers reveal jaw-dropping behavior in ‘weirdest things' they have seen
In the 'r/delta' forum on Reddit, a user posted a provocative question recently. 'What's the weirdest thing to happen to you on a plane?' the person asked — garnering some 2,000 reactions to date. Advertisement The user opened up the discussion by sharing a photo of a flight passenger playing a wooden recorder while sitting in a window seat. 'On landing/taxi, this fine gentleman pulled out his recorder and played 'Amazing Grace' for the other 100 or so people on the plane,' the user wrote. 'I'm quite happy he waited until the end of the flight.' The user added that it was 'by far the absolute weirdest thing I've seen inside an aircraft.' Other Redditors took to the comments section to share the wildest actions they'd seen while traveling 30,000 feet high in the sky. Advertisement 'I got stuck in a middle seat years ago next to a young woman carrying an almost life-sized doll head with a full head of messy hair,' one user wrote. 'And no, she wasn't a hairdresser.' Another user said, 'I don't like it when people clip their toenails. I've seen it three times. Twice [in] a row across from me and another time in my same row.' Commented another person, 'A woman put her rooster in the overhead bin, but it got loose.' 4 A discussion on airplane passenger etiquette needs to be had. Julian – Advertisement Wrote one individual, 'A woman across the aisle from me brought spaghetti and meatballs with her onto the plane, but she must have been in a rush because she was eating it out of one of those plastic thank-you bags.' Another Redditor said there was an 'old dude who kept asking me questions about my job even after I put my headphones on (multiple times) to work — couldn't take a hint and then said I was rude for not talking to him.' Said yet another person, 'My wife and I were sitting in 1C and 1D. The guy in 1B pulled out dental floss after the meal and started going at his mouth like he was giving himself a root canal. Full-on two-handed flossing right in his seat.' 4 'I don't like it when people clip their toenails. I've seen it three times. Twice [in] a row across from me and another time in my same row.' EdNurg – Advertisement A user wrote, 'The weirdest I've seen was someone changing their baby's diaper on their seatback table. Yep, the entire plane smelled of dirty diaper for the rest of the flight.' Another user described this: 'Donald and Melania Trump impersonators [were in the] first row on a Southwest Flight. The impersonator knew that I had done a double take when I passed him by. I guess most [people] do.' Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog 'View From the Wing,' told Fox News Digital that flight passengers need to be mindful of others. 4 'The entire plane smelled of dirty diaper for the rest of the flight.' EdNurg – 'Passengers have a zone of personal space on the plane that roughly corresponds to the area of their seat,' said Leff. 'Within that space, there are all [types] of behavior that might come under criticism (usually in the realm of personal hygiene and grooming), but it really comes down to the discretion of the individual,' he added. Former flight attendant and Florida-based etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore told Fox News Digital about different ways in which passengers can practice proper etiquette on flights. Advertisement Whitmore also noted that it's important to practice spatial awareness. 'The seats may be getting smaller by the day, but that doesn't give you the right to spill over into someone else's space or put your head on another person's shoulder — unless, of course, you know that person well.' As for passengers who opt to remove their shoes, Whitmore suggested putting on a pair of socks. 4 Flight attendants urge those who would like to take off their shoes to at least wear socks. ThamKC – Advertisement 'From an etiquette standpoint, it is rude to walk about barefooted in a public place as many germs can be transmitted from your feet,' Whitmore told Fox News Digital. Leff noted that flying has become more affordable and democratized. 'What that means is that all sorts of different people with different customs and expectations are now thrown together inside a metal tube,' he said. 'Then add in that people may be afraid to fly, or are traveling for emotionally stressful reasons, such as visiting family, leaving home (or escaping a bad home situation) or going to a funeral,' he said. 'Air travel brings together disparate people in stressful times who act as though they're in private.' Advertisement Leff said that he's seen people drinking too much, arguing with a spouse and traveling barefoot. 'Humans are strange creatures, indeed,' he added.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Prince Andrew ‘Refused' Royal Downgrade Amid Reports William Wants His ‘Disgraced' Uncle Out of the Family
It has always been understood that things are going to change in the British Royal family once Prince William is King. For a while there, it just seemed like that future wasn't all that close. But news of King Charles' illness has led to more speculation about what the future will look like when Prince William is king. And though a lot is speculation, William and Kate Middleton have been taking on added responsibility due to the King's illnesses, which gives us somewhat of a glimpse at what he might be as a King. And one thing he has been clear on is his desire to modernize the monarchy and to move away from the recent scandals. That's partly why reports indicate he's ready to cut ties with his brother Harry and Meghan Markle, with whom he is said not to be on speaking terms at the moment. But another relative, William reportedly wants to cut out from the monarchy going forward, is his uncle, Prince Andrew. More from StyleCaster Duchess Sophie Subtly Took a Side in William & Harry's Feud Amid Reports He Caused 'Irreparable Harm' to the Royals Charles' Funeral Could Be the Last Time Harry & William Ever See Each Other Again Amid Claims There's 'No Turning Back' in Their Feud Related: Did William really cheat on Kate? But Prince Andrew doesn't seem to be happy with just doing what his nephew wants. The disgraced Prince has reportedly refused to vacate his home, Royal Lodge, despite King Charles cutting his annual allowance and withdrawing funding for his security detail, moves that were seen as the King putting pressure on him to downsize. Prince Andrew could have moved to Frogmore Cottage, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used to live, but reportedly has no plans to do so, according to GB News. 'He has refused to leave his lavish mansion and move to the significantly smaller Frogmore Cottage, believing it to be not grand enough for him,' property buying agent Robin Edwards told the outlet. This, of course, means that Prince Andrew has had to figure out how to pay for security without the money from the crown. Edwards claimed that 'he has apparently been forced to economise and hire a cut-price security firm to guard him and Royal Lodge.' Considering Prince Andrew's troubled past and the continued interest in his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the prevailing thought is that once Prince William is in charge, he will also escalate the response to his uncle. This is not at all surprising, considering reports that he's ready to do that against his own brother. 'Prince William has long had a strained and distant relationship with Andrew,' royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital, adding that the Prince holds 'a grudge against his disgraced uncle.' 'Andrew's future within the royal family is beyond bleak, since Prince William is firmly opposed to any public rehabilitation with no foreseeable path back,' Fordwich claimed. 'He wants Andrew to vanish from public view.' William's issues with his uncle don't extend to Princess Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Instead, the two, who are not working royals, are expected to take on larger roles once Prince William becomes King. 'When William ascends the throne, Beatrice and Eugenie will be valuable assets, and I'm certain they will get involved with royal duties. It makes perfect sense, because he will need them,' Ingrid Seward, royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, told Hello!. So, at least some of the family is still on good terms and is expected to continue so. As for Prince Andrew, however, we probably won't be seeing him with the rest of the family again. Best of StyleCaster The 26 Best Romantic Comedies to Watch if You Want to Know What Love Feels Like These 'Bachelor' Secrets & Rules Prove What Happens Behind the Scenes Is So Much Juicier BTS's 7 Members Were Discovered in the Most Unconventional Ways
