Latest news with #FederalRulesofCriminalProcedure
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What to know about the charges against Diddy
This is a free newsletter for newsletter subscribers. to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout the trial. We're now 17 days away from the start of jury selection in Diddy's criminal trial, when this newsletter will take you inside a federal courtroom in downtown Manhattan with exclusive access to one of the biggest celebrity trials in memory. If you have any questions, drop us a line at diddyontrial@ We may feature your query in a future edition. In today's edition of Diddy on Trial, I break down the charges against the hip-hop mogul. Plus, we take a question from one of our readers. But first, here's a look at some key developments in the case. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request by Diddy's lawyer to delay the trial for two months at a two-hour hearing today. Adam Reiss, who was in the courtroom, told us Diddy seemed 'solemn and anxious.' When the hearing ended, court officers allowed Diddy to turn his chair and face his mother in the gallery. 'I love you,' he told her. 'Everything will be alright.' There's another hearing next week. Diddy pleaded not guilty Monday to two new counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy's lawyers are asking the judge to let prospective jurors be questioned in writing about their opinions on sex, drugs and violence. But prosecutors don't like that proposal. They'd like questions on those topics to be asked in person by the judge. Janelle Griffith has details. Brian Steel, an attorney who represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia's longest-running criminal trial, joined Diddy's legal team. The jury instructions gave us a more precise idea of the timetable for the trial. It's expected to last about eight to 10 weeks. It'll be held five days a week, Monday through Friday. The first week of the trial will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET; after that, it'll go from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. heard from a reader named Stacey Rice, who wanted to know whether the trial will be broadcast live on television. The short answer: no. In general, cameras are not allowed in federal criminal cases. Rule 53 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure says in part that 'the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.' But one of the goals of this newsletter is to get you closer to the action. In most editions, reporter/producer Adam Reiss will provide reports on the scene inside 500 Pearl St. — including how Diddy seems to react to the most pivotal Sept. 17, Diddy was plunged deeper into legal jeopardy. That's the date when federal prosecutors unsealed a sweeping indictment against the hip-hop impresario. In the 14-page document, the government painted a damning portrait of a powerful celebrity who allegedly 'abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.' 'Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,' prosecutors alleged. In the seven months since the first wave of criminal counts were unsealed and the embattled mogul pleaded not guilty, prosecutors have updated the indictment three separate times. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and denied wrongdoing. Here's a short guide to the charges — and prison sentences Diddy faces if he's convicted. The original indictment filed by prosecutors with the Southern District of New York contains three charges: racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and transportation to engage in prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The indictment refers to a Victim-1, whose accusations closely mirror those of R&B singer Cassie, Diddy's ex-girlfriend. She filed a civil lawsuit against him in November 2023, which they settled within a day but laid the groundwork for a federal investigation. In a 15-page document filed Jan. 30, prosecutors expanded the timeline of Diddy's alleged racketeering conspiracy, placing it from around 2004 to 2024. They also added two new sex trafficking victims, identified as Victim-2 and Victim-3, and accused Diddy of dangling someone over an apartment balcony. But no new charges were leveled against him. In a 15-page document filed March 6, prosecutors added more detail to their portrait of Diddy as the mastermind of an alleged criminal conspiracy, accusing him of forcing employees to work long hours with little sleep and wielding threats to get them to comply with his demands. The second superseding indictment also didn't contain new charges. In the latest updated indictment, filed April 3, prosecutors added two more charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution — bringing the total number of criminal counts against Diddy to five. Prosecutors have shielded the identities of all the alleged victims at the center of the case. This article was originally published on
NBC News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
What to know about the charges against Diddy
We're now 17 days away from the start of jury selection in Diddy's criminal trial, when this newsletter will take you inside a federal courtroom in downtown Manhattan with exclusive access to one of the biggest celebrity trials in memory. If you have any questions, drop us a line at diddyontrial@ We may feature your query in a future edition. In today's edition of Diddy on Trial, I break down the charges against the hip-hop mogul. Plus, we take a question from one of our readers. But first, here's a look at some key developments in the case. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request by Diddy's lawyer to delay the trial for two months at a two-hour hearing today. Adam Reiss, who was in the courtroom, told us Diddy seemed 'solemn and anxious.' When the hearing ended, court officers allowed Diddy to turn his chair and face his mother in the gallery. 'I love you,' he told her. 'Everything will be alright.' There's another hearing next week. Diddy pleaded not guilty Monday to two new counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy's lawyers are asking the judge to let prospective jurors be questioned in writing about their opinions on sex, drugs and violence. But prosecutors don't like that proposal. They'd like questions on those topics to be asked in person by the judge. Janelle Griffith has details. Brian Steel, an attorney who represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia's longest-running criminal trial, joined Diddy's legal team. The jury instructions gave us a more precise idea of the timetable for the trial. It's expected to last about eight to 10 weeks. It'll be held five days a week, Monday through Friday. The first week of the trial will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET; after that, it'll go from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. ET. Mailbag We heard from a reader named Stacey Rice, who wanted to know whether the trial will be broadcast live on television. The short answer: no. In general, cameras are not allowed in federal criminal cases. Rule 53 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure says in part that 'the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.' But one of the goals of this newsletter is to get you closer to the action. In most editions, reporter/producer Adam Reiss will provide reports on the scene inside 500 Pearl St. — including how Diddy seems to react to the most pivotal testimony. What to know about the charges against Diddy By Daniel Arkin On Sept. 17, Diddy was plunged deeper into legal jeopardy. That's the date when federal prosecutors unsealed a sweeping indictment against the hip-hop impresario. In the 14-page document, the government painted a damning portrait of a powerful celebrity who allegedly 'abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.' 'Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,' prosecutors alleged. In the seven months since the first wave of criminal counts were unsealed and the embattled mogul pleaded not guilty, prosecutors have updated the indictment three separate times. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and denied wrongdoing. Here's a short guide to the charges — and prison sentences Diddy faces if he's convicted. The indictment The original indictment filed by prosecutors with the Southern District of New York contains three charges: racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and transportation to engage in prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The indictment refers to a Victim-1, whose accusations closely mirror those of R&B singer Cassie, Diddy's ex-girlfriend. She filed a civil lawsuit against him in November 2023, which they settled within a day but laid the groundwork for a federal investigation. The first superseding indictment In a 15-page document filed Jan. 30, prosecutors expanded the timeline of Diddy's alleged racketeering conspiracy, placing it from around 2004 to 2024. They also added two new sex trafficking victims, identified as Victim-2 and Victim-3, and accused Diddy of dangling someone over an apartment balcony. But no new charges were leveled against him. The second superseding indictment In a 15-page document filed March 6, prosecutors added more detail to their portrait of Diddy as the mastermind of an alleged criminal conspiracy, accusing him of forcing employees to work long hours with little sleep and wielding threats to get them to comply with his demands. The second superseding indictment also didn't contain new charges. In the latest updated indictment, filed April 3, prosecutors added two more charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution — bringing the total number of criminal counts against Diddy to five. Prosecutors have shielded the identities of all the alleged victims at the center of the case.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eric Adams case: Judge to consider Trump's push to drop corruption charges against NYC mayor
The federal judge overseeing the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to hear from the attorneys Wednesday afternoon about the Justice Department's controversial motion to dismiss the charges against him. The DOJ move prompted an exodus of prosecutors that disagreed with the decision. Eight federal prosecutors, including the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, have resigned in protest. Four deputy mayors have departed City Hall as well. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who will attend the hearing, has said the case should be dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be revived, because of 'appearances of impropriety and risks of interference with the 2025 elections in New York City' and because continuing the case would 'interfere with the defendant's ability to govern in New York City' and threaten President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Adams has consented in writing to the deal and denies any 'quid pro quo' with the administration for dropping the charges in exchange for boosting Trump's immigration agenda. Judge Dale Ho, a Biden appointee, said the parties should be prepared to discuss the reason for the dismissal motion, what Adams has agreed to, and the next procedural steps in the case. The judge could appoint a special prosecutor to continue the case. If Judge Ho were to reject the motion to dismiss the case against Adams, there's little precedent of what happens next. The judge scheduled the hearing amid growing calls from top Democrats for the embattled Democratic mayor to step down or be removed from office and as former prosecutors urge the judge to not approve the dismissal without digging deeper into the circumstances surrounding the deal. The Justice Department has moved to dismiss the case under Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which says the government may 'with leave of the court' dismiss an indictment. Adams is scheduled to go to trial on five criminal charges, including bribery, in April. He has pleaded not guilty.
CNN
19-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Eric Adams case: Judge to consider Trump's push to drop corruption charges against NYC mayor
The federal judge overseeing the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to hear from the attorneys Wednesday afternoon about the Justice Department's controversial motion to dismiss the charges against him. The DOJ move prompted an exodus of prosecutors that disagreed with the decision. Eight federal prosecutors, including the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, have resigned in protest. Four deputy mayors have departed City Hall as well. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who will attend the hearing, has said the case should be dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be revived, because of 'appearances of impropriety and risks of interference with the 2025 elections in New York City' and because continuing the case would 'interfere with the defendant's ability to govern in New York City' and threaten President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Adams has consented in writing to the deal and denies any 'quid pro quo' with the administration for dropping the charges in exchange for boosting Trump's immigration agenda. Judge Dale Ho, a Biden appointee, said the parties should be prepared to discuss the reason for the dismissal motion, what Adams has agreed to, and the next procedural steps in the case. The judge could appoint a special prosecutor to continue the case. If Judge Ho were to reject the motion to dismiss the case against Adams, there's little precedent of what happens next. The judge scheduled the hearing amid growing calls from top Democrats for the embattled Democratic mayor to step down or be removed from office and as former prosecutors urge the judge to not approve the dismissal without digging deeper into the circumstances surrounding the deal. The Justice Department has moved to dismiss the case under Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which says the government may 'with leave of the court' dismiss an indictment. Adams is scheduled to go to trial on five criminal charges, including bribery, in April. He has pleaded not guilty.
Boston Globe
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
New York City Mayor Eric Adams will face judge who will decide whether to dismiss his criminal case
Advertisement At the start of his two-page order, Ho quoted from an opinion by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that said Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which governs the government's request, was not created to shift absolute power from the Executive to the Judicial Branch but was intended 'as a power to check power.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The appeals court also wrote that the Executive Branch is 'presumptively the best judge of whether a pending prosecution should be terminated' and advised that 'pending prosecutions should not be judicially disturbed unless clearly contrary to manifest public interest.' Ho also cited legal history noting that a judge has independent obligations once the government has involved the judiciary by obtaining an indictment or a conviction. And he quoted from one judicial opinion that said a judge must be 'satisfied that the reasons advanced for the proposed dismissal are substantial' before approving a dismissal. The hearing will occur as a growing number of former prosecutors express concerns about the past week's events, with some calling on Ho to conduct an inquiry that could put Washington's Justice Department leadership under a spotlight. Late Monday, Justice Connection, which supports Justice Department employees, released a letter from over 900 former federal prosecutors to career federal prosecutors that said they have 'watched with alarm' as values 'foundational to a fair and justice legal system' have been tested in the past week. Advertisement In the letter, the former prosecutors said they 'salute and admire the courage many of you have already exhibited. You have responded to ethical challenges of a type no public servant should ever be forced to confront with principle and conviction, in the finest traditions of the Department of Justice.' The letter was released after three former US attorneys from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut submitted papers to Ho suggesting that he appoint a special prosecutor if he finds the Justice Department acted improperly or that he order that all evidence be made available to state and local prosecutors. Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges that while in his prior role as Brooklyn borough president, he accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks from a Turkish official and business leaders seeking to buy his influence. The last week has featured an unusual public fight between Emil Bove, the second-in-command of the Justice Department, and two top New York federal prosecutors: interim Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon and Hagan Scotten, an assistant US attorney in Manhattan who led the Adams prosecution. Bove wrote that the case had 'unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime.' On Thursday, Sassoon resigned, along with five high-ranking Justice Department officials. A day later, Scotten resigned, noting that Sassoon had properly resisted a demand that the charges be dropped and the possibility they could be reinstated after this year's election. 'No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again, to induce an elected official to support its policy objectives,' Scotten wrote. Advertisement On Monday, Adams — amid calls to resign by some Democrats — confirmed that four of his top deputies had decided to resign in the fallout from the Justice Department's push to end the corruption case against him and ensure his cooperation with Trump's immigration crackdown. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she is weighing removing Adams from office.
