Diddy's request for new trial denied ahead of sentencing
What's the story
Sean "Diddy" Combs's bid for a new trial or an acquittal in his federal case has been denied by Judge Arun Subramanian. The decision comes just days before his sentencing on Friday. The court was not convinced by the arguments presented for either of these outcomes. Combs's legal team had claimed that his recordings of sexual acts with male escorts were amateur pornography protected under the First Amendment.
Legal strategy
Defense team's arguments shot down by judge
Combs's defense team also argued that his racketeering and sex trafficking counts should not have been joined with his Mann Act counts. They claimed this combination prejudiced the jury against him on the latter charges. However, Judge Subramanian ruled that Combs failed to show any "spillover prejudice" to the jury since he was found not guilty of the more serious RICO and sex trafficking charges.
Ruling details
'Government proved its case many times over'
In his ruling on Tuesday, Judge Subramanian stated, "The government proved its case many times over." He added that if the alleged prejudice had been as significant as claimed by Combs's defense team, one would expect a jury to convict him on the most relevant counts "before it could spill over and infect the others." The judge also dismissed Combs's argument that he was an amateur pornographer and not engaging in prostitution.
Sentencing proposal
Prosecutors recommend more than 11 years in prison for Combs
Prosecutors have filed a 164-page memorandum recommending a minimum of 11 years and three months in prison for Combs. They argue that he is "unrepentant" and that "the punishment for his crimes of conviction must take into account the manner in which he committed them." The government had earlier proposed a four to five-year sentence. Meanwhile, Combs's attorneys have argued for no more than 14 months in prison, saying he has already been punished enough.
Conviction details
Combs was found guilty on 2 counts of prostitution
Combs was found guilty in July on two counts of transportation for prostitution but escaped more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. His former girlfriend, Yung Miami, and producer Dallas Austin submitted letters of support along with the filing. Inmates who had taken Combs's "Free Game" course also wrote letters in his favor.