A judge denied Sean "Diddy" Combs' attempt to appeal a ruling for his bail.
The troubled mogul appeared in a New York City courthouse on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, with his attorney Marc Agnifilo and his sons Christian, Justin and Quincy. During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said Combs shouldn't be released on bail because he could threaten potential witnesses. She argued Combs used recordings of alleged sexual assaults at his Freak Offs to blackmail victims and cited other instances of alleged obstruction including his 128 calls to Kalenna Harper over Dawn Richard's civil lawsuit, and the now-infamous video of the Bad Boy founder beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie.
Combs' legal team followed up with their defense. Marc Agnifilo and attorney Teny Geragos addressed the excessive conversations between Diddy and Harper. They also proposed an amended bail package, which included 24/7 monitoring by an independent security company at his Miami mansion. In addition to video surveillance inside the home, visitor logs would be kept and turned in each night to ensure transparency. He would also be forbidden from having female visitors outside of family members. Regarding his employees, they will handle his finances from California so they have no reason to visit him at home.
Combs also agreed to get rid of his cell phone and restrict access to the Internet to deter witness intimidation. Remember, Combs had already given up his and his family's passports and promised $50 million from two Miami homes as collateral. However, none of those terms were enough to convince the judge. After arguments from both sides, U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter ultimately decided that the government proved Combs was a danger and denied his bail again. Combs was sent back to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The 54-year-old artist has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and kidnapping. If convicted, he could face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. Watch Marc Agnifilo deliver his statement after the hearing below.