Diddy’s Lawyers Want His Shackles Removed For Next Court Hearing

Diddy‘s legal team has filed a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian requesting that authorities remove the shackles from the Bad Boy mogul ahead of his court hearing on Tuesday. They argue that the restraints will influence possible jurors into being biased against him ahead of trial. The hearing is to discuss accusations from the defense that prosecutors unlawfully seized materials from Diddy’s jail cell.

“Given the press attention on the pretrial proceedings in this case, there is a substantial risk that potential jurors will learn about the shackling through the media and develop such a bias,” Diddy’s team wrote in the letter. They concluded: “Because there is absolutely no reason to shackle Mr. Combs during court proceedings, and because such shackling prejudices the potential jury pool, undermines his presumption of innocence, interferes with his ability to communicate with counsel, and offends the dignity and decorum of the proceedings, we respectfully request that the Court direct the U.S. Marshals Service to remove his shackles before bringing him into the courtroom.”

As for the alleged raid on Diddy’s prison cell, his team labeled it “outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation.” It allegedly allowed prosecutors to view “privileged notes to his lawyers concerning defense witnesses and defense strategies.” Diddy’s been staying at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his arrest on charges of alleged sex trafficking and racketeering, having been denied bail on multiple occasions.

Diddy will appear in court at 3:00 PM, ET on Tuesday to discuss the recent raid on his prison cell. He has pleaded not guilty and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case. Check out the letter from Diddy’s legal team below.