The rumors of celebrity demises are often greatly exaggerated. In the case of Diddy, they are not. It’s quite possible we collectively underestimated the magnitude of what was actually happening. For the sake of this article, we’ll go through the procedural history of what’s taken place so far with this case. The commentary is often circuitous and difficult for the reader or audience to understand. But it is pertinent that the process is understood because a lot of these terms are thrown around constantly and there is no explanation. For the sake of this article, we won’t get into the merit of any of the accusations, we’re simply going through the legal procedures so far and what to expect moving forward. We’ll start at the beginning, which is always a very good place to start.
Earlier this year, Cassie filed a civil suit against Diddy with a plethora of allegations ranging from assault to trafficking. Civil lawsuits are between 2 parties and the party suing usually asks for money, to be made whole (“put me back in the position you found me”), or some other penalty. Cassie, justifiably, was asking for money. This civil suit was settled in less than 48 hours. Strategically, this could’ve meant many things. What it meant for sure was that both sides did the math and realized the exchange of money was easier than going through a whole trial. Let’s be clear. If this went to trial, not only would we have heard on record what Diddy did, but the victim or victims (including Cassie) would have had to, in some ways, relive what happened throughout the trial. This would’ve been via video, testimony, and other methods. This is why in a lot of civil suits, victims sometimes settle. They just want to be done with the situation.
Now, we get to this week. Diddy is currently detained after a grand jury indicted him on several charges. I know what you’re wondering. Didn’t he settle with Cassie? Doesn’t that mean it was done? Yes and No. Here’s how this works. When someone files civil charges, the prosecutors are aware of it. The court system is aware of it. The prosecutors then have a large amount of discretion to see if they want to file criminal charges against the accused. In criminal suits, the prosecutors are asking for jail time or other penalties. In the case of Diddy, what happened was likely that Cassie filed, other accusers came out, and the prosecutors discovered that they may have a case. They then file subpoenas (documents that ask for someone to either release information or appear in court), and use whatever they find to put together a case. What they find can be from years prior or even days prior. It doesn’t matter. If a judge signs, then whoever is asked has to do what they’re told with very limited exceptions.
We get past the subpoenas, and the prosecutors think they actually have a case. So surely they can just go and arrest Diddy, right? Wrong. Now they have to go in front of a grand jury before being able to file the formal charges (indictment). What's the job of the grand jury? The role of the grand jury is to decide if there is enough reason to charge someone with a crime. All they need is probable cause. Probable cause is a low bar. All it means is that there is enough going on that someone will reasonably believe something is off. The grand jury sees and hears a bunch of evidence Then voted on if they believe this person may have committed a crime. They are not saying someone is guilty or not guilty. They are simply saying ‘There’s enough evidence for you to bring charges or there’s isn’t enough evidence for you to bring charges.’ In the case of Diddy, all the grand jury is saying is ‘There is enough evidence for you to bring charges.’ Then the prosecutors filed formal charges, and they arrested Diddy based on said charges which were a result of what the grand jury heard.
That brings us to the most recent event, which is the denial of his bail. When someone is arrested on criminal charges, they can normally be released while they wait for the trial to begin. When someone is released, they pay a fee to the court. The court holds that money until all their required court appearances are satisfied, then the bail is refunded. Diddy has the money and can afford bail. With that said, Diddy has been denied bail twice. They denied it because they believed for the integrity of the case and the safety of the community, he should be detained until the trial. There have been accusations of obstructing justice and witness tampering so that decision makes sense in light of that information. Hopefully, this helped to clarify what’s going on. As the case continues, we’ll try to explain and keep you abreast.