Sean “Diddy” Combs gained a small portion of his uphill authorized battle on Monday when a federal choose dismissed the Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Act (RICO) portion and 4 different causes of motion introduced within the authorized submitting from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, the producer whose accusations preceded a flood of authorized complaints in opposition to the rap mogul and his firm.
On Monday, Choose J. Paul Oetken of the US District Courtroom for the Southern District of New York weighed in on Combs’ protection workforce’s movement to dismiss Jones v. Combs et al., in a 31-page opinion, granting the movement partially however denying different parts associated to sexual assault and trafficking. The slimmed-down civil case will nonetheless transfer ahead, however with the racketeering accusation struck from the case, together with the breach of contract declare and three causes of motion associated to infliction of emotional misery. Choose Oetken additionally dismissed a declare within the swimsuit associated to the Trafficking Victims Safety Act.
Within the dismissal of the RICO aspect of the lawsuit, the choose determined that Jones’ case fails to show any damage to his enterprise or property attributable to a RICO enterprise overseen by Diddy and due to this fact, he can’t sue beneath the declare that his complaints relate to any alleged illicit enterprise. The choose stated Jones’ nonpayment declare additionally lacked a “causal connection” with any purported racketeering exercise.
“[Combs’] alleged refusal to honor the contract with Jones is just not itself a RICO predicate act, even when the contract breach resulted from Jones’s refusal to take part in Combs’s alleged racketeering scheme,” the choose wrote. “In sum, whether or not or not Jones has adequately alleged the existence of a RICO enterprise, he has not tied the actions of that enterprise to defendants’ breach of contract, or another ‘enterprise or property’ hurt incurred by Jones.”
The breach of contract aspect was dismissed as a result of nothing regarding a cost settlement was in writing, and a 12 months has handed since any alleged settlement was made between Jones and Combs or his firm. The claims of emotional misery had been additionally discovered to be legally poor.
Choose Oetken’s resolution was lopsided, nevertheless, and Combs, alongside together with his Chief of Employees Kristina Khorram, will nonetheless need to reply for claims of intercourse trafficking; further claims in opposition to Combs associated to sexual assault and premises legal responsibility may also proceed, the choose determined, however the trafficking declare in opposition to Combs World was dismissed.
In 2022, Jones was employed by Combs to work on what would turn into The Love Album: Off the Grid, Combs’ first studio file since 2006. He spent over a 12 months in Combs’ interior circle, residing and touring with Combs and he additionally grew to become his videographer within the day-to-day. When he exited the mogul’s orbit, he claims he was groomed, abused, exploited, and stiffed on $50,000 in cost, publishing shares and royalties for his work on the Grammy-nominated album.
Jones’ case was filed on Feb. 26 in New York federal courtroom in search of $30 million in restitution. Within the prolonged submitting, which was later amended so as to add extra damning allegations, Jones ranges harsh accusations in opposition to Combs embody alleging that he was sexually assaulted, allegedly pressured by Combs to have interaction in intercourse acts, made to solicit intercourse staff, drugged, humiliated and says he was repeatedly groped on his anus and genitals whereas in Combs’ orbit.
Whereas parts of the case will proceed after Monday’s resolution, the choose was curt because it admonished Jones and his lawyer, utilizing some sturdy language to forged off the plaintiff’s tried authorized maneuver and his counsel’s conduct. Choose Oetken states that Jones’ effort to transform a “backyard selection…. breach of contract case” right into a RICO swimsuit” falls flat.
“Jones fails to handle any [racketeering] arguments in his opposition temporary, and whereas the Courtroom prefers to determine points on the deserves, it shouldn’t be essential to root round a 402-paragraph criticism to contrive novel arguments on Jones’s behalf,” he wrote in his memo.
A particular “warning to counsel” part was additionally included within the resolution, directed to Blackburn, stating that his filings are “replete with inaccurate statements of legislation, conclusory accusations, and inappropriate advert hominem assaults on opposing counsel.”
“For instance, in urging the Courtroom to think about a grand jury indictment of Combs on associated legal costs, Blackburn writes ‘as evidenced by U.S. Legal professional Williams’s press convention and the Grand Jury indictment… Defendant Sean Combs and the Combs RICO Enterprise are presumed responsible of being a RICO legal group,’” the choose quoted earlier than writing, “That any licensed member of the bar would espouse such an absurd understanding of the legislation is not only disturbing, however stunning.”
The choose wrote that the operative criticism and Blackburn’s opposition temporary are full of comparable irrelevant insults, misstatements, and exaggerations. He added that the courtroom “is not going to maintain Blackburn’s antics in opposition to Jones at this level,” however warned the lawyer of looming sanctions or referral for self-discipline ought to such conduct proceed.
Blackburn instructed The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that he respects Choose Oetkens’s order and opinion and is happy with the choice, as he can now proceed with authorized discovery associated to the case, naming each Combs and Khorram.
“We view this as a win. [The] defendants wished a complete dismissal, and so they didn’t get it,” Blackburn stated. “I do know the place the entire our bodies are buried, and I’ve an enormous shovel. Time to begin digging!”
Khorram broke her silence final week, months after being named in at the least three civil lawsuits alongside her former boss, claiming that she is harmless and that she has “by no means condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anybody.”
Combs is presently being held on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn as he awaits trial in Might, following his September arrest on federal RICO and intercourse trafficking costs. The beleaguered rap mogul can be going through dozens of lawsuits claiming he was concerned in intercourse trafficking, sexual assault and misconduct over his a long time within the music and vogue trade. He has denied all authorized claims in opposition to him.
