Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs looking for Black female lawyer to join trial team
With just a few weeks until his trial starts, Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs is still building his legal team. Combs’ lawyers are reportedly looking for a Black female attorney to join his current trial team, which includes Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.
Combs was arrested in September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation for purposes of prostitution. His trial is set to begin on May 5th after being hit with a third superseding indictment earlier this month.
Agnifilo and Geragos are both white, which could be why Combs wants to diversify his panel of counsellors. Agnifilo previously made racism claims as part of his defence, alleging the government were attempting a “takedown of a successful black man.”
Prosecutors criticised his comments, saying he caused a “serious risk” for a fair trial by “baselessly accusing the government of engaging in a racist prosecution.”
According to TMZ, Mark Geragos will also play a significant role in Combs’ case. However, Marc and Teny will continue to serve as lead counsellors regardless of who is brought in.
Combs’ previous lawyer, Anthony Ricco, a Black male, withdrew from the sex trafficking case in February under mysterious circumstances. He was one of six lawyers on the defence team.
“Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs,” he wrote in a Manhattan federal court filing. “It is respectfully but regrettably requested that the court grant the relief requested.”
The Bad Boy rapper recently added Young Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, to his defence team. The attorney represented Thug during his YSL RICO case, which resulted in his release from prison in October after accepting a plea deal.