Sean 'Diddy' Combs will stand trial on allegations of assault. The rap mogul is accused of punching Gerard Rechnitzer in the jaw at a post-Oscars party last year, after the 27-year-old objected to Combs' attempts to woo his fiancee. Four people have since come forward with eyewitness accounts backing Rechnitzer's claims, while Combs insists he ran into his "stationary open hand". At a hearing on Wednesday (2.28.2008), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert L. Hess ruled the complaint will now go to trial, with the start date set for May. But the judge refused to grant Rechnitzer's lawyer's request to view the rapper's finances, deciding that information was not necessary until the trial. Explaining his decision, Hess told the court, "If you were to get a finding of fraud, oppression or malice, some or all of this information you would be entitled to. I'm not persuaded at this point to give it to you today. We have privacy issues here that are very important."However, Hess has not ruled out the option completely, insisting it would only be required if Rechnitzer's legal team can convince the jury to rule in their favor, in which case they might be allowed access to Combs' accounts in order to determine any punitive damages. Combs does not face any criminal charges in relation to the incident because the Los Angeles Police Department found no cause for Rechnitzer's complaint when they investigated the altercation at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood last year.
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