Diddy lawyer argues for appeal of sex-crimes conviction, prison release
Diddy lawyer argues for appeal of sex-crimes conviction, prison release
ReutersThu, April 9, 2026 at 7:18 PM UTC
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Sean "Diddy" Combs and his legal team are urging an appeals court to overturn his conviction on prostitution charges, as well as his prison sentence.
A lawyer for the hip-hop mogul has said in court papers that U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the sex-crimes trial, should not have considered evidence that Combs abused and threatened former girlfriends in sentencing him last October.
On Thursday, defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro doubled down, arguing that when determining a sentence, judges should not be allowed to consider conduct relating to charges for which a defendant has been acquitted.
"This case presents an important issue about a respect for jury verdicts and public confidence in our criminal justice system," Shapiro told the Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals during arguments April 9 in an appeal by Combs of his conviction and sentence of four years and two months in prison.
1 / 0Diddy sentencing: See the end of the music mogul's legal battle as it wraps up in court
Janice Combs, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, arrives at court in New York City for the sentencing hearing for Sean "Diddy" Combs, after the music mogul was convicted on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to issue a ruling on Combs' prison sentence on Oct. 3, 2025, in Manhattan court after attorneys for the disgraced hip-hop mogul and United States prosecutors weigh in on the time he should serve.
Combs is serving his sentence at a low-security federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey.
What was Diddy convicted of?
His seven-week trial last year in Manhattan federal court centered on drug-fueled and days-long sexual performances, sometimes called "freak offs," between two former girlfriends of Combs and male sex workers. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, was found guilty by a jury on July 2, on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
But jurors acquitted him on more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering charges related to allegedly forcing the two former girlfriends – R&B/pop singer Casandra Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane – to take part in the encounters while he watched, masturbated and sometimes filmed.
Sean "Diddy" Combs attends the MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 12, 2023.
Shapiro has argued in court papers that Combs' conviction on prostitution charges should be overturned because he was alleged to have watched his former girlfriends have sex with paid escorts but did not take part himself.
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Shapiro has said the judge should not have considered evidence that Combs threatened to release an explicit video of Ventura and threatened to cut off rent payments for Jane in deciding on the sentence.
Is Diddy being released?
If Combs gets his way, he could be released upon appeal. But the prosecution is pushing back, dismissing the defense's case as "meritless," according to CNN.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik is expected to present her arguments after Shapiro.
Sean "Diddy" Combs attends the Billboard Music Awards on May 15, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In court papers, Slavik has said that Subramanian was right to consider evidence of threats and abuse by Combs toward his former girlfriends, even though he was acquitted of sex trafficking, because that conduct was relevant to the prostitution counts.
"According to Combs, the District Court should have closed its eyes to how he carried out his Mann Act offenses and abused his victims," Slavik wrote, referring to the federal law criminalizing transportation to engage in prostitution.
How long has P. Diddy been in jail?
Combs has acknowledged abusing his former girlfriends. But he has said incidents of what he called domestic violence were separate from the sexual performances at issue in the case, which he said were consensual.
Combs has been behind bars for more than a year and a half after being arrested on Sept. 16, 2024. He is currently due to be released from prison on April 15, 2028, Bureau of Prisons records show.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy hearing today — Defense lawyer pushes to overturn conviction
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