A federal judge has ordered prosecutors to relinquish copies of 19 pages of notes seized from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ jail cell, following concerns raised by his legal team that the documents were protected under attorney-client privilege.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian, presiding over the case, directed the court to retain the original documents while the legal teams exchange briefs on the matter in the coming weeks. The notes were taken during a search of Combs’ cell as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that he attempted to influence witnesses.

Combs, currently in detention awaiting trial, faces serious charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors claim the notes are relevant to their case, suggesting they may provide evidence of witness tampering or other misconduct.

Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, had previously alleged that prison officials photographed 19 pages of material from Diddy’s cell, including 11 pages of trial strategy notes and correspondence with his legal team. The notes reportedly contain sensitive details about defence witnesses, cross-examinations of prosecution witnesses, and strategies for securing his release on bail.

Federal prosecutors, however, maintain they did not open a manila folder labelled ‘legal’ and handed over photos of Diddy’s notebook to a “filter team” to determine whether the materials were protected by the attorney-client privilege. Agnifilo called the raid a deliberate and unconstitutional breach of his client’s rights.

Now that the judge has ruled that certain evidence is inadmissible, the case can proceed.

“The bottom line is that no multi-agency law enforcement initiative justified rifling through Mr Combs’ personal handwritten notes of conversations with his lawyers, and the prosecutors’ arguments to the contrary lack all credibility,” Agnifilo responded to the court Tuesday, November 19, according to reports.