NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs secured a partial courtroom victory in his ongoing federal case after a judge ordered prosecutors to turn over their witness list earlier than planned. However, under strict legal conditions, Diddy himself will not be allowed to review it.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled on March 6 that the government must provide the witness list by March 10, rather than its previously scheduled release date of March 21. The decision is seen as a win for Diddy’s defense team, which had been pushing for early access to prepare for his upcoming trial in May.
However, the information will be shared under an Attorney’s Eyes Only (AEO) designation, meaning that only Diddy’s lawyers can review the identities of the witnesses and alleged victims involved in the case.
Judge Grants Early Disclosure but Imposes Restrictions
In his ruling, Judge Subramanian stated that prosecutors faced no logistical barriers in providing the list earlier and acknowledged that early disclosure was essential for Diddy’s legal team to prepare their defense.
“The Government has the information, doesn’t identify any logistical issues in turning it over earlier, and in fact plans to do so shortly, minimizing any concerns about witness tampering and the like based on advance disclosure,” the judge explained.
Diddy’s lawyers had argued that the sheer volume of evidence in the case required additional time for review. With trial just two months away, they insisted that knowing the witnesses’ identities was crucial to building their defense.
Diddy’s Legal Battles Continue Amidst Federal Charges
The court’s decision comes as Diddy remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His request for bail was previously denied, with prosecutors successfully arguing that he posed a risk of interfering with witnesses.
The hip-hop mogul has been facing a wave of lawsuits and legal scrutiny following his arrest last year on federal RICO and sex trafficking charges. His attorneys claim that the case is built on anonymous accusers and unverified allegations, many of which they argue have already been debunked.
Despite this latest legal win, Diddy’s defense team still faces an uphill battle. The government has been reluctant to grant additional transparency in the case, initially resisting the motion to expedite the witness list release.
With his legal team now in possession of key names in the case, the next phase of Diddy’s defense strategy is set to escalate.
Diddy has pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence as he prepares for his trial in May.
Source: AllHipHop
