Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs argue his four-year sentence for prostitution crimes is excessive, citing acquitted conduct as a key issue in the appeal.
NEW YORK: Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs urged an appeals court to overturn the hip-hop mogul’s prison term of more than four years for prostitution-related crimes. The disgraced artist was not present at the Manhattan courthouse as his defense sought to persuade a three-judge panel.
Defence lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued the sentence of four years and two months was unfairly long. She claimed District Judge Arun Subramanian should not have considered evidence related to acquitted charges.
“The evidence the judge was relying on was totally separate and in fact was acquitted conduct,” Shapiro said. Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering but convicted on two prostitution transportation counts.
Prosecutors disagreed with the defence’s position on the evidence. They pointed to an instance where Combs showed Ventura videos of her at sex parties before another event.
“These incidents are specifically tied to transportation,” prosecutor Christy Slavik told the court. Slavik used a pizza analogy to highlight how certain evidence slices were relevant to sentencing.
The court did not issue an immediate ruling in what one judge called an “exceptionally difficult case”. Combs is also appealing his conviction, though that was not discussed in detail.
He is being held in the low-security Fort Dix prison in New Jersey. Combs is due for release in spring 2028.
