Sean Combs, also known as 'Diddy', petitions the court for a not-guilty verdict or a fresh trial, arguing his initial conviction as unconstitutional.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, the renowned American music mogul, is challenging his conviction under the Mann Act, claiming it to be unconstitutional and unprecedented. According to court documents filed by his legal team, the application of the law in his case was too broad and lacked sufficient evidence of prostitution in the traditional sense.
The crux of Combs' defense lies in the argument that his conduct lacked a commercial motive. The Mann Act, historically, was designed to prohibit commercial sexual exploitation. However, Combs' lawyers assert that he did not engage in paid sex, but rather consensual sexual performances. They argue that these performances are protected by the First Amendment as free expression.
Furthermore, the defense contends that this is the first time anyone has been convicted under the statute for conduct like Combs'. Given its novelty, they deem the conviction unprecedented. The lawyers argue that what Combs did amounted to voyeuristic activity within a swingers’ lifestyle, not prostitution under a properly limited definition of the statute.
The defense also alleges that the conviction violated constitutional protections due to spillover prejudice from evidence related to other charges (sex trafficking and racketeering) from which Combs was acquitted. This evidence, they argue, was inflammatory and possibly inadmissible in a Mann Act-only trial.
In the 62-page detailed motion, Combs' legal team has requested the conviction to be overturned or for a new trial, emphasizing these points and highlighting the novel and controversial nature of applying the Mann Act to his case.
It is important to note that Combs was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has been held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September 2024. His sentencing is currently set for October 3.
In addition, numerous witnesses wrote letters to the judge stating they would fear for their safety if Combs did not remain in jail. Evidence of Combs' violence towards one of the alleged victims was presented during the trial, including hotel surveillance footage first published by CNN in May 2024.
Despite these allegations, Combs was acquitted on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Both of the government's alleged victims testified that they did not want to have sex with other men, but felt they had no choice due to Combs controlling their careers and finances. During the trial, both women testified that Combs would threaten to release the sexually explicit videos that he had recorded of them.
Combs' request for a new trial or a full acquittal comes the same week his defense filed another motion for release on a $50 million bond ahead of his sentencing. The judge has already denied Combs' previous requests for bail, citing his admitted pattern of violent behavior.
[1] [Link to source 1] [2] [Link to source 2] [3] [Link to source 3]
The defense team for music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs argues that the application of the Mann Act in his case is both unprecedented and unconstitutional, as it lacks evidence of paid sex and his conduct lacks a commercial motive. This is the first time anyone has been convicted under the statute for non-traditional forms of sexual conduct, according to the defense.
In their 62-page detailed motion, Combs' lawyers emphasize the novel and controversial nature of applying the Mann Act to his case, and have requested the conviction to be overturned or for a new trial, claiming that the conviction violated constitutional protections due to spillover prejudice from other charges, and that the convicted activities amounted to voyeuristic activity within a swingers’ lifestyle, not prostitution under a properly limited definition of the statute.
