In July, a New York jury found Sean "Diddy" Combs not guilty of charges of the serious sex-trafficking and racketeering charges that would've sent him to prison for at least 15 years, and possibly for life. That jury did, however, find Combs guilty of two counts interstate transportation related to prosecution, both of which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Combs has been in jail awaiting trial and sentencing for nearly 13 months. As his sentencing approaches, Combs' lawyers are asking a judge to give him a 14-month prison term with time served, which would free him very soon. In the process, Combs' lawyers are arguing that their client has already faced severe penalties, including intense hardship in jail.
The trail of Sean Combs was among the most shocking and sensationalistic in recent memory. It included testimonies from Cassie Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend, who described horrific abuses, as well as Dawn Richard, a former Bad Boy artist who sued Combs for sexual abuse, and Kid Cudi, who described the time that his car was firebombed. It was genuinely shocking that the jury dismissed the more serious charges against Combs, but Judge Arun Subramanian rejected a $50 million bail deal from Combs' lawyers. Now, Combs' lawyers claim that the jury's verdict "represents an ‘affirmative indication of innocence,'" as the Associated Press reports, and that prosecutors seeking a longer sentence "have lost all perspective." Combs' lawyers write, "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."
Combs' lawyers argue that the reputations of Combs and his family have already been destroyed, including details like the cancellation of a planned Hulu reality show about the Combs family. They also describe the conditions that Combs has faced in jail, claiming that he has limited access to clean water, that his food sometimes has maggots, and that he's forced to sleep within two feet of other inmates in a room with no door on the bathroom. With Combs under suicide watch, his lawyers say that he has to show his ID card to guards every two hours, limiting his sleep in a room that's already brightly lit. They also describe one incident in which another inmate allegedly brandished a shiv at Combs, accusing Combs of sitting in his favorite chair. The lawyers say that Combs escaped injury by talking to that inmate and calming him down.
Combs' lawyers say that he turned down a pre-trial plea deal from prosecutors, who would've recommended a sentence of at least 25 years in prison. You can read the full Associated Press story here.
