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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ attorneys on Monday appealed to a New York federal judge to limit the music icon’s prison sentence to a maximum of 14 months for his prostitution conviction—a term which, if approved, would lead to his imminent release.
The attorneys advocated for Combs’ release in their written request to Judge Arun Subramanian, despite the judge having already denied a $50 million bail proposal.
Included in their appeal were nearly 70 letters of endorsement from Combs’ close associates, including his mother Janice, sister Keisha, children Justin, Chance, D’Lila, Jessie, record producer Dallas Austin, and Dana Tran, the mother of his youngest child.
The filing revealed Combs has finally sobered up in prison after 25 years of drugs and alcohol abuse.
Combs emphasized that his 84-year-old mother Janice and seven children depend on him. In her letter, Janice expressed her desire to spend ‘the last few years of my life’ with her son, while acknowledging he ‘has made some terrible mistakes.’
The filing also claimed he maintained an ‘incident free record’ while staying at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
‘In the past two years, Mr. Combs’s career and reputation have been destroyed. He has served over a year in one of the most notorious jails in America – yet has made the most of that punishment,’ his attorneys informed the court.
‘Put simply, the jury has spoken. Its verdict represents an `affirmative indication of innocence,´’ they added.
Attorneys for music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pressed a New York federal judge Monday to impose a prison term next month of no more than 14 months for his conviction on two prostitution-related offenses, potentially allowing him to be released almost immediately if the judge consents.
The lawyers made their arguments in a written submission to Judge Arun Subramanian, who has already rejected a proposed $50 million bail package, signaling that he doesn’t believe the Grammy-winning artist is close to being released
‘It is time for Mr. Combs to go home to his family, so he can continue his treatment and try to make the most of the next chapter of his extraordinary life…It is the only just and fair sentence that could be imposed.’
The attorneys are asking that his sentence be 14 months with supervised release, as well as mandated drug treatment and therapy.
Combs faces an Oct. 3 sentencing after his July conviction by a Manhattan jury on two Mann Act charges that outlaw interstate commerce related to prostitution. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Bad Boy Records founder was exonerated on more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that would have required a minimum of 15 years in prison and the possibility of a life sentence.
In their submission, Combs’ lawyers argued that a jury sent a loud message to the judge by exonerating him of the most serious charges.
Prosecutors, who will submit their recommendations prior to the Oct. 3 sentencing, have already said they´ll urge Combs stay imprisoned substantially longer than the four to five years they originally thought.
Defense lawyers, though, wrote in their submission Monday that prosecutors ‘have lost all perspective.’
It was an explosive trial filled with jaw-dropping moments and mentions of some of the world’s biggest stars.
Metropolitan Detention Center, where Diddy has remained since the July verdict
Diddy (center) reacts after hearing his verdict in court on July 2. His attorneys are seen embracing and smiling, while he sits his head in his hands (court sketch)
There was a cameo from Kanye West, constant warring between prosecutors and defense lawyers, and an army of Diddy die-hards outside court every day.
The music maven’s trial featured lengthy testimony from two former girlfriends of Combs who said they felt forced to participate in drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers as Combs watched and sometimes filmed the dayslong encounters.
R&B singer Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura testified that she participated in hundreds of the meetups that were referred to as ‘freak-offs’ while she was his most frequent girlfriend from 2007 to 2018.
Another ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym ‘Jane,’ said she also felt pressured to perform sexually with male sex workers while she dated Combs from 2021 until his arrest at a New York hotel a year ago.
There was also extensive testimony during the trial about Combs beating his girlfriends and using violence and the fears of it to control those around him.
Prosecutors painted a picture of a mob-like figure who threatened to kill people if they spoke out against him and ran a ‘criminal enterprise’ that covered it up.
In her closing argument, prosecutor Christy Slavik said that Diddy used a ‘methodical pattern of violence and coercion’ to force women into freak offs.
Slavik claimed that Diddy ‘groomed’ his victims and wanted ‘complete control’ over them which he achieved by drugging and abusing them.
The star witness for the defense was Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura, who dated Diddy for more than a decade and testified while eight-and-a-half months pregnant. Footage of him assaulting her was made public during the trial after the full unedited footage was shown to court
Diddy often called himself ‘The King’ and wanted to be treated as such, the jury was told.
During a marathon summation which took nearly five hours, Slavik said that Diddy was a man who ‘doesn’t take no for an answer’.
She described him as the ‘leader of a criminal enterprise’ who had a group of ‘loyal lieutenants’ ready to protect him.
Emily Anne Johnson, another prosecutor, rejected the idea that Diddy was on trial for his sexual proclivities.
She said: ‘Let me be very clear…this case is not about a celebrity’s private sexual preferences. The evidence will show the sexual conduct at issue in this case was coercive and criminal because the defendant made women have sex when they didn’t want to’.
Defense lawyers at trial conceded that there was domestic abuse but said the charges brought by prosecutors were not proven.
His lawyers said that he was a ‘complicated’ man who was sometimes a ‘jerk’ who admitted to beating up women.
Diddy’s relationships with women were ‘toxic’ and driven by jealousy – but they were not criminal.
He claims that Janice (pictured center), 84, and all of his seven children depend on his care, with his mother writing that she ‘would like to be able to spend the last few years of my life’ with him, though admitting he ‘has made some terrible mistakes in his life ‘
They offer nearly 70 letters of support from Combs’ allies, including his mother Janice, sister Keisha, and children Chance, D’Lila and Jessie (pictured)
Justin Combs (pictured right) also wrote a letter of support for his father
Opening the case, Teny Geragos told the court: ‘The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual but it will not show you a racketeer or a sex trafficker’.
According to Geragos, even though Diddy was ‘kinky’, the government shouldn’t prosecute him for what he did in the bedroom.
The jury was shown multiple clips of the freak offs – which made one black female juror grimace, while another put her hand to her face. The X-rated material was not released to the public.
Dozens of celebrities were named but none were implicated in criminal wrongdoing and only one turned up to support Diddy, Kanye West, who briefly appeared in court.
Ultimately, the prosecution’s arguments weren’t enough to convince every juror of his racketeering conspiracy guilt – the jury initially returned a split verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge.
But they were quick to reach a verdict on the first four charges.
His defense requested he be freed on a $1 million bond, but he was denied bond and must remain in jail until his sentencing hearing on October 3.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey – who has since been fired by the Trump administration – said in July that the government will seek a 20-year maximum for Combs.
