In a dramatic legal showdown, attorneys for hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have asked a federal appeals court in New York to free him from prison and overturn his Mann Act conviction.
The filing, submitted to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, demands the court order Combs’s immediate release or instruct Judge Arun Subramanian to reduce his four-year sentence.
Combs, 56, is currently serving time at a federal prison in New Jersey and is scheduled for release in May 2028.
The request comes after a July trial acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
Lawyers for Combs argue that the sentencing judge treated the case unfairly by allowing evidence from the acquitted charges to influence the punishment.
They contend that Subramanian acted as a “thirteenth juror” during the October sentencing, which resulted in a four-year, two-month term.
The attorneys claim that the judge’s decision violated the jury’s verdict and the principle that convictions should not be affected by unrelated evidence.
They request the appeals court to reverse the conviction, order immediate release, or direct the judge to reduce the sentence.
Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, a federal statute that prohibits transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.
The conviction stemmed from two lesser counts of prostitution offenses that did not involve force, fraud, or coercion.
At trial, jurors found no evidence of coercion, yet the judge’s sentencing remarks suggested otherwise.
Combs’s lawyers note that defendants typically receive sentences of less than 15 months for similar offenses, even when coercion is alleged.
The lawyers cited a statement from the court filing that reads: “Defendants typically get sentenced to less than 15 months for these offenses – even when coercion, which the jury didn’t find here, is involved.”
They further argue that the judge’s findings of coercion and exploitation contradicted the jury’s verdict.
The filing also includes the lawyers’ claim that the judge “defied the jury’s verdict and found Combs ‘coerced,’ ‘exploited,’ and ‘forced’ his girlfriends to have sex and led a criminal conspiracy.”
The attorneys allege that this misinterpretation of the evidence inflates the sentence.
The prosecution’s case hinged on testimony from two former girlfriends who alleged abuse and coercion.
Former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura testified that Combs ordered her to engage in “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship, which ended in 2018.
Jurors viewed video footage of Combs dragging and beating Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after a multiday “freak-off.”
The second former girlfriend, who used the pseudonym “Jane”, claimed that she was pressured into sex with male workers during “hotel nights” from 2021 to 2024, sometimes lasting days.
During sentencing, Judge Subramanian stated that he rejected the defense’s attempt to portray the encounters as merely intimate or consensual.
He said: “You abused the power and control that you had over the lives of women you professed to love dearly. You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And you used that abuse to get your way, especially when it came to freak-offs and hotel nights.”
The judge’s remarks emphasized the alleged abuse of power and control in the relationships.
Combs’s lawyers argue that the judge’s statements were not supported by the evidence presented at trial.
They maintain that the acquitted charges should not influence the sentencing decision.
The attorneys also point out that the two prostitution counts did not involve force or coercion, contradicting the judge’s narrative.
They request that the appeals court overturn the conviction or at least reduce the sentence to align with typical penalties for such offenses.
The filing also highlights that the judge’s sentencing was based on the alleged abuse of power, stating that Combs “used that abuse to get your way.”
The lawyers claim that the judge’s findings were inconsistent with the jury’s verdict and that the sentencing judge effectively acted as a jury member.
They argue that the judge’s misuse of evidence undermines the fairness of the trial and violates Combs’s rights.
The attorneys seek a reversal of the conviction or an immediate release from prison.
Adding to the high-profile nature of the case, rapper Kid Cudi has spoken publicly about his experience testifying in Combs’s sex-trafficking trial.
Cudi joined Alex Cooper on the August 13 episode of “Call Her Daddy” to discuss his reluctance to take the stand.
His comments have drawn attention to the broader legal proceedings surrounding Combs.
The case continues to attract media coverage as the appeals court considers the filing.
Key Takeaways
- Combs’s attorneys demand immediate release or reversal of his Mann Act conviction, citing judge bias.
- The judge’s sentencing remarks focused on alleged abuse and coercion that the jury did not find.
- Kid Cudi’s testimony has added public interest to the trial.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet heard oral arguments, but the filing signals a push to challenge the four-year sentence imposed by Judge Subramanian.
If the court sides with the lawyers, Combs could be released early or have his conviction overturned.
The outcome will shape how future cases involving similar allegations are handled in federal court.
