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Sean “Diddy” Combs was dealt a major blow in his ongoing legal fight on Friday when a federal judge denied the hip-hop mogul a gag order he wanted to impose on witnesses potential and their lawyers
Diddy’s bid was rejected by Judge Arun Subramanian, who ruled that free speech is “highly protected” in the US and said the restrictions were “too broad”.
Diddy has argued that public statements by the alleged victims and their attorneys could threaten his right to a fair trial.
In a broad opinion, Justice Subramanian said local regulations do not permit broad restrictions on speech that could affect unidentified witnesses. He called Diddy’s actions “unusual” and pointed out that courts have traditionally been reluctant to issue such orders.
The judge wrote, “The Combs administration does not support a gag order that applies not only to trial participants but also to any alleged victims and their attorneys.”
He added, “Before imposing speech restrictions, less restrictive alternatives must be considered and rejected.”
Diddy also unsuccessfully asked the judge to force witnesses to retract online statements that he said violated local laws.
The court also rejected Diddy’s attempt to access government communications about these claims outside of court.
Subramanian ruled from the bench that “The unprecedented relief sought by Combs under this motion is unwarranted,” adding that “existing measures have been put in place to remind all both parties regarding the legal standards regarding public statements about the case.”
This is just the latest headache for Diddy amid his many legal troubles.
According to AllHipHop, this result raises concerns about additional allegations coming to light during the trial.
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