Sean “Diddy” Combs lawyers recently sent a letter to a judge who is scheduled to decide on the rapper's bail bid request for Thanksgiving on Monday, referencing President-elect Donald Trump's federal criminal case.
In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian on Friday, the music mogul's attorneys argued that Combs' remarks on social media and other public platforms are shielded by the First Amendment and ought to be subjected to the “most demanding scrutiny,” just like in Trump's case involving presidential immunity.
“The Court should apply Trump’s heightened standard when considering Mr. Combs’ speech here,” they wrote.
The Supreme Court examined whether Trump was immune from felony charges for acts committed while in office in the case of Trump v. United States.
Combs' attorneys contended that the court in Trump's case determined that speech restrictions are justified only when there “is a significant and imminent threat to the administration of criminal justice.”
According to them, the rapper has a “greater constitutional claim” than other participants in the trial to voice his disapproval and criticism of the prosecution.
Diddy's lawyers bring up video his kids posted on dad's birthday
{{/usCountry}}According to them, the rapper has a “greater constitutional claim” than other participants in the trial to voice his disapproval and criticism of the prosecution.
Diddy's lawyers bring up video his kids posted on dad's birthday
{{/usCountry}}His lawyers also cited a video that was uploaded to Combs' Instagram account showing his children calling him while he was behind prison and extending him good wishes on his birthday.
While referring to his birthday post, the federal prosecutors stated that the “defendant’s intent could not be clearer: he expressly wanted to interfere with the jury pool in this case through a targeted, public, social media post, and he caused his family members to make the post.”
In response, Combs' attorneys stated in the letter that the government's claims that he should not ask his children to post birthday wishes on a social media platform “are, quite simply, an unconstitutional attempt to silence him.”
Also Read: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs issues cease and desist from jail over documentary about his protégé
A look at Diddy's bail attempts
Combs showed up for his pretrial hearing on Friday. He was arrested on September 16 from the lobby of a Manhattan hotel and was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
His bail was first denied in September when the indictment was released, and then again in early November as the judge believed he is a flight risk due to his wealth and connections.
While Combs has entered a not guilty plea to the allegations, he also faces several lawsuits from women who claim he mistreated them and coerced them into engaging in sexual acts against their will.