Tyrone Blackburn, an attorney for Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones in a civil suit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, has been chastised by a federal judge for filing inappropriate legal claims and behaving unprofessionally in court documents.
According to AllHipHop, Blackburn's filings were said to be filled with legal inaccuracies, baseless accusations, and personal attacks, US District Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York said in an order. The judge warned Blackburn would receive sanctions or be referred to the court's disciplinary committee if his behavior persisted.
Court Rejects 'Presumed Guilty' Claim
In one of Blackburn's filings, he wrote, "Defendant Sean Combs and the Combs RICO Enterprise are presumed guilty of being a RICO criminal organization." Judge Oetken rejected the statement outright, calling it "shocking" and an "absurd understanding of the law."
Blackburn has also stuck personal comments and hyperbolic language in her legal paperwork. His answer, a novel one, when defense attorneys objected to his approach, "It is clear [that defense counsel] are obsessed with me, and although initially flattering, their obsession has become creepy."
Previous Controversies and Withdrawn Claims
It's not the first time Blackburn has come under fire for his legal tactics. He had sued Universal Music Group, its CEO Lucian Grainge, Motown Records, and others, accusing them of funding the misconduct he alleged against Diddy. However, those assertions were later retracted after UMG's counsel threatened sanctions.
Though no sanctions were imposed at the time, the judge characterized Blackburn's conduct as "incompetent" and said a referral to the Southern District's disciplinary committee was pending for repeated failures to investigate fundamental aspects of his cases.
Oetken was clear that he would not punish Lil Rod for Blackburn's actions. But, he said, attorneys have a responsibility to maintain a professional standard.
The judge wrote, "Blackburn has a professional obligation, both to the Court and to his client, to state the law accurately, to collaborate in a respectful and constructive manner with fellow lawyers, and to allow this litigation to proceed efficiently."
In February 2024, Lil Rod sued Diddy for sexual battery, sexual assault, drugging, sex trafficking, and racketeering. The case remains ongoing as legal battles continue over procedural issues and evidentiary matters.
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