In a final attempt to gain his release before Thanksgiving, Diddy made an unexpected comparison to President-Elect Donald Trump in a recent court filing. Reports indicate that his legal team invoked Trump’s name in an attempt to counter accusations from prosecutors, who argue that Diddy attempted to sway potential jurors in his ongoing sex-trafficking trial through a strategic public relations move online.
In their legal filing, the mogul’s attorneys referenced an appellate ruling from Trump’s election interference case, emphasizing the broad free-speech protections granted to defendants under the First Amendment. His lawyers cited, “Only a significant and imminent threat to the administration of criminal justice will support restricting Mr. Trump’s speech.” The eight-page document argues that Diddy, much like Trump or any other federal defendant, holds a constitutional right “to criticize and speak out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty.”
The court documents go on to state, “Accordingly, the Court should apply Trump’s heightened standard when considering Mr. Combs’ speech here.”
From Luxury meals to pb&j: Diddy’s bail battle
If Diddy stays behind bars, he’ll be far from the lavish meals he’s accustomed to.
A menu obtained from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn reveals his 4 PM dinner will consist of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, fruit, and whole bread—a far cry from his usual spread. Diddy has attempted to get bail three times, the most recent on November 22. His legal team is advocating for him to be placed under house arrest at his Upper East Side three-bedroom apartment, a request that could shift his fate from prison to home confinement.
Diddy’s struggle to secure bail is partly due to violations of the Bureau of Prisons’ communication protocols, which include unauthorized contact via phone and text messages to a witness allegedly involved in his “freak-offs.” Following counsel’s advice, Diddy has ceased using these methods. In their response to the defense filings, prosecutors referenced decisions by judges associated with Donald Trump, “faced the unique task of balancing the right of a current candidate for the presidency to speak publicly about his charges against the public’s right in a fair trial.”
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