NEW YORK, NY – Sean “Diddy” Combs will not receive a new trial or acquittal in his federal criminal case, a judge ruled Tuesday, just days before the music mogul is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.
Judge Arun Subramanian rejected arguments from Combs’ legal team in a filing Tuesday evening, stating the court was not persuaded by their claims that warranted either a new trial or an acquittal. The ruling clears the way for Combs to be sentenced later this week on two counts of transportation for prostitution.
Combs’ attorneys had argued that recordings of sex acts with male escorts should be considered amateur pornography protected under the First Amendment. They also claimed he deserved a new trial because his RICO and sex trafficking charges should not have been combined with his Mann Act violations, which they said unfairly prejudiced the jury against him.
Judge Subramanian firmly rejected those arguments, noting that Combs failed to meet the “heavy burden” of proving spillover prejudice to the jury. The judge pointed out that Combs was actually found not guilty of the more serious RICO and sex trafficking charges.
“The government proved its case many times over,” Subramanian wrote in his ruling. “That by itself might be enough to dispose of Combs’s challenge. Had the prejudice indeed been so great, one would expect a jury to convict on the most relevant counts before it could spill over and infect the others. A new trial is not warranted.”
The denial comes after Combs’ legal team filed documents last week requesting he serve no more than 14 months in prison, arguing their client had been punished enough. The filing included letters of support from his former girlfriend Yung Miami, music producer Dallas Austin, and inmates who had taken Combs’ “Free Game” course while he awaited trial.
Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transportation for prostitution, but was acquitted of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he appears for sentencing on Friday.
The case has drawn significant attention as one of the highest-profile celebrity criminal trials in recent years. Prosecutors have not publicly commented on the judge’s ruling or indicated what sentence they will seek at Friday’s hearing.
Daddy thinks he can get away with whatever he wants. Bummer for him he can’t. He should get the maximum sentence but, I don’t think he will. At least send him to jail for long time. I’m sick of people, mostly men, who think because he has the money he can do what he wants with no consequences.