Judge Arun Subramanian denied Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to delay his May 5 sex‑trafficking trial; jury selection remains set next month.
On Friday, April 18, 2025, Sean “Diddy” Combs made a brief yet consequential return to Manhattan federal court, marking his first appearance since pleading not guilty to an expanded five‑count sex‑trafficking and racketeering indictment.
Dressed in the standard tan prison jumpsuit and flanked by U.S. Marshals, the 55‑year‑old mogul entered the courtroom at approximately 11 a.m. ET, where cameras and reporters were already in place.
His defense team had filed a motion earlier in April requesting a two‑month postponement of the May 5 jury selection date—citing delays in the production of key discovery materials—but that bid was swiftly rebuffed by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
Combs was escorted into Judge Subramanian’s courtroom at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse for what amounted to a short status conference focused almost entirely on scheduling . He remained seated and silent for the proceedings, punctuated only by his attorneys’ presentation of the delay motion and the judge’s ruling.
Despite the high stakes, the hearing lasted mere minutes, underscoring the court’s intent to maintain momentum toward trial. No substantive testimony was taken, and the only orders issued related to upcoming dates on the calendar.
In their motion, Combs’ lawyers, led by Marc Agnifilo, argued that newly added charges in the superseding indictment had triggered fresh discovery obligations, necessitating extra time to review hundreds of thousands of pages of emails and other communications.
The defense specifically sought to adjourn the May 5 jury selection to early July, warning that without the extension they would be “unprepared” to proceed.
Judge Subramanian, however, rebuked the request, stating it was “unclear why there isn’t sufficient time to prepare” and warning that the court would not countenance a “fishing expedition” for additional evidence.
He emphasized that the existing schedule left ample time for the defense to complete its review, denying the two‑month delay outright.
Combs is now charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution, all alleged to have occurred between 2004 and 2024.
At this appearance, he pleaded not guilty to the two latest counts, bringing his total not‑guilty pleas to three since the original indictment in September 2024.
The New York‑born entrepreneur has remained in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn without bail, having had multiple requests for release denied due to flight and witness‑tampering concerns .
With the delay motion off the table, the next status conference is set for April 25, when Judge Subramanian will revisit pretrial scheduling and outstanding motions.
Jury questionnaires are slated to go out at the end of April, with individual voir dire beginning May 5 and opening statements scheduled to commence May 12 .
If the trial proceeds as planned, it is expected to last eight to ten weeks, potentially extending into the summer months.
Prosecutors allege that Combs used his Bad Boy Records empire to orchestrate a “decades‑long pattern of coercion” involving paid sex workers, coercion, and recorded sexual events known internally as “freak offs”.
The defense counters that these were consensual encounters with former partners, not criminal acts, and has vowed to appeal every adverse ruling, including the denial of the delay motion .
Adding to the public fascination, non‑fiction projects like Peacock’s documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy and Discovery+’s Fall of Diddy have provided behind‑the‑scenes looks at both his rise and the explosive allegations—further complicating perceptions of his legacy.
As the countdown to May continues, the court of public opinion remains as divided as ever, with the man who once defined an era of hip‑hop now awaiting a verdict that could irrevocably reshape his story.
source USA TODAY
