Latest news with #White-SlaveTrafficAct
USA Today
12-05-2025
- USA Today
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers accuse prosecution of bias against Black jurors
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers accuse prosecution of bias against Black jurors Show Caption Hide Caption What we know about the case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs The trial against Sean 'Diddy' Combs is kicking off. How strong is the case against him? Here's what we know now. A jury has been finalized in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-crimes trial, but not without some pushback. Combs' defense team expressed concern that prosecutors were unfairly excluding Black jurors ahead of the final juror selection on May 12. "Your honor, the government has struck seven Black people out of nine strikes, which we believe amounts to a pattern," Combs' lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told Judge Arun Subramanian. "We have not demonstrated any sort of bias whatsoever," lead prosecutor Maurene Ryan Comey responded, calling prosecutors' selections "very diverse" with "many non-white" jurors. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. Comey ran through neutral reasons as to why they made the strikes the way they did: One juror said he had a lack of candor with past incidents with police; another juror had "meandering and inconsistent answers"; and another juror "tried to walk back" her statement that Combs is likely guilty of domestic violence in her jury questionnaire by later saying that victims can jump on a "bandwagon." The judge denied the defense's applications about the jury strikes, with Subramanian saying the defense had "failed to show purposeful discrimination." Diddy trial updates: Jury that could decide Combs' fate is set; opening statements next Combs' team has pointed out what it sees as discriminatory conduct previously. The defense has argued that his transportation to engage in prostitution charge should be dismissed as "no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution." Among the federal charges against Combs is a violation of the Mann Act, officially known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, which makes it illegal to transport people across state or international lines for the purpose of prostitution. Combs' lawyers have argued the law has a history of racial bias that rarely results in prosecution. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers slam feds for using 'racist' law 'used to target Black men' His team has also accused prosecutors of leaking damaging material "to humiliate" him. On May 9, Subramanian rejected the defense's request to dismiss the charge. "Combs doesn't point to any evidence that racial bias played a role in the government's actions, that the prosecution team was responsible for any leaks to the press, or that the way Combs's homes were searched bespeaks a discriminatory purpose," Subramanian said. Contributing: Aysha Bagchi This story has been updated to include additional information.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs Attorney Steps Down, Says There Are 'No Circumstances' in Which He Can Represent Diddy
Anthony Ricco, an attorney for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has filed a motion to step down from the mogul's legal team. In a filing in the Southern District of New York, Ricco did not provide an affidavit or evidence for why he could not continue in the case other than a short statement saying he would no longer be able to 'effectively serve.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Doechii Says Finding Her Stage Name Helped Her Overcome Suicidal Thoughts: "This Is My Motherf**** Movie" Beyoncé Adds New Dates to Cowboy Carter Tour - Here's How to Snag the Best Deals on 2025 Tickets Chloe Fineman Says Harry Styles Was "Devastated" by Her Impression of Him on 'SNL' '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,' the letter reads. Ricco notes that his withdrawal from representing Combs would not delay the trial date, which is currently scheduled to begin in May. And Combs would still continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Combs was indicted in September and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering for directing a vast criminal enterprise through which it is alleged that he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses since at least 2008. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail. On Tuesday, lawyers for Combs had filed a motion seeking to dismiss one of the sex trafficking charges he is facing. The charge, violating the Mann Act, prohibits transporting someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. In this case, the government alleges that Combs violated this by transporting male escorts across state lines to have sex with his girlfriends. However, lawyers argued it was a legal male escort company and that the origins of the law are racist. The Mann Act was once called the White-Slave Traffic Act, and was enacted in 1910. Combs' lawyers argued the law's historic purpose has been to 'target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them,' as it had been used in the prosecution of boxing champ Jack Johnson and Chuck Berry. 'This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution. Sean Combs is an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman, philanthropist and one of the most accomplished black people in this country,' the filing reads. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Diddy lawyer quits: ‘Under no circumstances can I continue' with sex trafficking case
One of the lawyers representing Sean ' Diddy ' Combs in his upcoming sex-trafficking case has requested he be allowed to leave the defense team. Anthony Ricco filed his request in the Southern District of New York federal court. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ricco wrote: '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 also noted that his withdrawal should not delay the trial, which is scheduled to begin in May. Combs will continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Last September, Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this week, Combs's lawyers attempted to have one of the charges against the embattled music mogul thrown out over claims that the law itself is racist. In a filing seen by The Independent, his lawyers sought to have the prostitution charge dismissed on the basis that the law in question, the Mann Act of 1910, has historically been used to 'target Black men.' 'No white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution,' claimed the filing. The Mann Act was initially called the White-Slave Traffic Act and was passed at a time when there was a growing anxiety about young girls being lured into work in brothels. The filing argued that the Act has a 'long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins, used to target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them.' Combs's lawyers claimed that 'the government has concocted a criminal case based primarily on allegations that Mr Combs and two of his longtime girlfriends sometimes brought a third party - a male escort - into their sexual relationship.' They went on to argue that 'the use of escorts, male or female, is common and indeed widely accepted in American culture today' and that Combs had been 'singled out because he is a powerful black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.' They called for the charge to be dismissed on the grounds that it is 'a clear case of selective prosecution.' Over the past 16 months, at least 40 plaintiffs have sued Combs over allegations of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct. Most recently, a new lawsuit was filed against the embattled music mogul claiming that he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a teenager when she was walking home from a babysitting job. In a statement provided to The Independent at the time, Combs's legal team vehemently denied the claims against him. Last week, Combs filed a $100 million lawsuit against NBC over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy. The documentary aired on Peacock last month, featuring interviews with Combs's childhood friends, former bodyguard, former employees, alleged victims and singer Al B. Sure! (who was married to Combs's late ex, Kim Porter). In the lawsuit, Combs's lawyers argue that in the race to get the film to air, NBC 'maliciously and recklessly broadcast an outrageous set of fresh lies and conspiracy theories.' They further state that claims that Combs carried out murder and had sex with minors are false, and allege that NBC sought 'only to capitalize on the public's appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr Combs's right to a fair trial.'
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs Attorney Steps Down, Says There Are 'No Circumstances' In Which He Can Represent Diddy
Anthony Ricco, an attorney for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has filed a motion to step down from the mogul's legal team. In a filing in the Southern District of New York, Ricco did not provide an affidavit or evidence for why he could not continue in the case other than a short statement saying he would no longer be able to 'effectively serve.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Doechii Says Finding Her Stage Name Helped Her Overcome Suicidal Thoughts: "This Is My Motherf**** Movie" Beyoncé Adds New Dates to Cowboy Carter Tour - Here's How to Snag the Best Deals on 2025 Tickets Chloe Fineman Says Harry Styles Was "Devastated" by Her Impression of Him on 'SNL' '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,' the letter reads. Ricco notes that his withdrawal from representing Combs would not delay the trial date, which is currently scheduled to begin in May. And Combs would still continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Combs was indicted in September and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering for directing a vast criminal enterprise through which it is alleged that he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses from at least 2008. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail. On Tuesday, lawyers for Combs had filed a motion seeking to dismiss one of the sex trafficking charges he is facing. The charge, violating the Mann Act, prohibits transporting someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. In this case, the government alleges that Combs violated this by transporting male escorts across state lines to have sex with his girlfriends. However, lawyers argued it was a legal male escort company and that the origins of the law are racist. The Mann Act was once called the White-Slave Traffic Act, and was enacted in 1910,. Combs' lawyers argued the law's historic purpose has been to 'target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them,' as it had been used in the prosecution of Jack Johnson and Chuck Berry. 'This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution. Sean Combs is an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman, philanthropist and one of the most accomplished black people in this country,' the filing reads. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy seeks to dismiss federal charge claiming racial bias in prosecution
Sean 'Diddy' Combs's legal team is seeking to dismiss one of the charges against the disgraced music mogul, claiming he's being unfairly prosecuted because of his race. Diddy, who's currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, was charged in September 2024 with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence. On Tuesday, attorneys for the once-powerful Hollywood star filed a motion to dismiss the transportation charge, arguing their client 'has been singled out because he is a powerful Black man and [is] being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.' 'This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution,' attorneys wrote in the court filing, reviewed by the Daily News. According to Diddy's legal team, count three in the superseding indictment against the 55-year-old Harlem native — transportation to engage in prostitution — should be dropped because 'there has never been a similar' prosecution under the Mann Act, a federal law that criminalizes the transportation of 'any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.' The legislation, which was previously called the White-Slave Traffic Act, has 'racist origins' and is being used against a successful Black man, they claim. Prosecutors have alleged that Diddy hired male sex workers to attend his infamous 'freak-off' parties. But according to the rapper's legal team, the charge of transporting escorts across state lines is based on a law that has a 'long and troubled history' and was 'used to target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them,' the filing reads. 'No other person, and certainly no white person, has ever previously been prosecuted under the White-Slave Traffic Act for hiring male escorts from another state.' The government has 'concocted a criminal case' largely based on claims that Combs and his longtime girlfriends occasionally invited a male escort into their relationship, his attorneys say. According to the filing, the prosecution's handling of the case 'demonstrates bias and animus [and] it has gone out of its way to humiliate Mr. Combs and to prejudice the jury pool with pretrial publicity that plays on racist tropes.' The federal trial against Combs is scheduled to begin May 5.
