Sean “Diddy” Combs has added a brand new lawyer to his trial crew, which comes only a few weeks earlier than jury choice begins on Could 5.
The disgraced music mogul has referred to as on the lawyer of one other well-known musician, Younger Thug, to hitch his trial crew. Brian Metal, the high-powered protection lawyer who represented Thug in his RICO trial, is now set to signify Combs after being charged with intercourse trafficking and racketeering.
Based on experiences from Rolling Stone, in a brand new court docket submitting on Tuesday, Metal submitted his credentials and requested to be specifically admitted as an out-of-state lawyer in Combs’ felony case with simply weeks to go earlier than jury choice begins subsequent month. Metal represented Younger Thug in the course of the rapper’s practically two-year trial associated to his YSL gang and racketeering case in Atlanta.
“Brian is a legend, particularly after YSL,” Douglas Weinstein, who represented Thug’s co-defendant Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick, advised Rolling Stone. “His insights, tenacity and character shall be an outstanding addition to Mr. Combs’ crew. I noticed it in individual in the course of the YSL trial. I want I might be a fly on the wall with no matter occurs. He’s a legend in Georgia.”
Combs can be combating a racketeering conspiracy cost, however his case is far completely different than the Atlanta rapper’s. The Unhealthy Boy founder has pleaded not responsible to allegations he trafficked a number of ladies below a “felony enterprise” that used violence, threats, and manipulation to satisfy Combs’ “sexual gratification.” He has been in custody at a federal detention middle in Brooklyn since his arrest final September.
Previous to Metal’s addition to the crew, there have been rumors that Combs was trying so as to add Los Angeles authorized titan Mark Geragos to his crew. Geragos’ daughter, Teny Geragos, already is representing the Unhealthy Boy Information founder, although Mark has been tied up representing the Menendez brothers amid their push for resentencing. Nonetheless, a supply tells Rolling Stone he was in New York earlier this week, which might imply one other addition to Diddy’s authorized crew.
This variation comes as Combs has as soon as once more pleaded not responsible to new expenses introduced towards him by U.S. attorneys, who accuse him of turning his “multi-faceted enterprise empire” right into a “felony enterprise” over 20 years.
The document producer appeared in Manhattan court docket on Monday, April 14, for an arraignment, with Reuters reporting that Combs entered a not responsible plea in response to the newest felony indictment. Filed on April 3, this new indictment provides one depend of intercourse trafficking and one depend of transportation to have interaction in prostitution of “Sufferer-2” to the earlier three expenses towards him.
In response to the revised indictment, Combs’ authorized crew stated in an announcement to USA Right this moment:
“These aren’t new allegations or new accusers. These are the identical people, former long-term girlfriends, who had been concerned in consensual relationships. This was their personal intercourse life, outlined by consent, not coercion.”
