Lawyers and law students expressed their opinions after one of Sean Combs’ attorneys abruptly withdrew from his case on Thursday.
According to the New York Post, Anthony Ricco filed a motion on Thursday to withdraw from Combs’ case without providing a reason. Ricco stated in the Manhattan federal court affidavit that he could no longer effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs and requested the court grant his request.
Ricco sought a judge’s signature on his motion to withdraw as Combs’ attorney. A judge must find sufficient grounds to approve such a request, as outlined in The Post. Ricco assured the court that his action would not delay the trial, which is scheduled to commence on May 5. He mentioned that Combs has five other attorneys on the case, including lead attorney Marc Agnifilo.
In his motion, Ricco suggested that he did not want to disclose any information protected by attorney-client privilege.
Lawyers and others expressed their opinions on
. The majority of comments suggested that Ricco withdrew due to ethical concerns. One person wrote, “There are ethical considerations at play, and he’s not risking his law license.” Another person speculated that Combs had asked Ricco to lie or had admitted guilt. They pointed out that an attorney will defend a serial killer as long as the client does not confess to the attorney. The person wrote, “The moment you say, ‘I actually did that and need you to do this so I don’t get convicted,’ this is what happens…”
Another person commented, “This is known as a noisy withdrawal. It is usually done when the lawyer believes their client is attempting to engage in unethical or illegal actions.” Someone else added, “While I don’t believe non-lawyers fully comprehend what’s unfolding, this is a very noisy withdrawal.”
