Sean “Diddy” Combs walked into court on October 10, 2024, with his ankles bound in chains, a sight that sparked outcry and a flurry of legal maneuvering from his defense team.
The music mogul, facing serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, recently argued that the shackles were unnecessary and prejudicial – a judge agreed.
Diddy was granted his request to be unshackled during his court appearances after Judge Subramanian agreed to the request on Tuesday (November 19).
The media widely reported the sight of the former Hip-Hop icon in restraints, raising concerns about potential juror bias.
Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, complained that the shackles undermined the presumption of innocence, interfered with his ability to communicate with his lawyers and degraded the dignity of the judicial proceedings.
The media coverage of Diddy’s shackling was extensive, with outlets like ABC News, the Associated Press, and CNN reporting on the incident.
The widespread attention heightened concerns that potential jurors could be influenced by the image of Diddy in shackles, compromising the trial’s fairness.
In their letter, Diddy’s attorneys argued that there was no justification for shackling him during court proceedings.
Judge Subramanian ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to remove the shackles before bringing Diddy into the courtroom for all future appearances.