NEW YORK (BN24) — A federal judge has scheduled a hearing later this month in Manhattan to consider arguments from attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs seeking to overturn his July convictions on prostitution-related charges.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over Combs’ trial, will hear the defines motion on Sept. 25. The legal team for the 55-year-old music mogul is asking the court to either acquit Combs or grant him a new trial, contending that the evidence was insufficient and that the law was misapplied in securing the guilty verdicts.
Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution under the Mann Act, a federal law dating back to 1910. However, he was acquitted of more serious charges, including one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
Federal prosecutors, in a filing opposing the defines motion, argue that the evidence presented at trial amply supported the jury’s decision. “There was more than a sufficient basis, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government, to support the counts of conviction,” prosecutors wrote.
The sentencing hearing for Combs is set for Oct. 3. He remains held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. On Aug. 4, Judge Subramanian denied Combs’ bail request, citing him as a flight risk and a potential danger to the community. That decision referenced 2016 hotel surveillance footage introduced at trial that showed Combs kicking and dragging former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
In their push for a new trial, Combs’ attorneys argue that the Mann Act was overly broad in its application and that the evidence used to secure the convictions was both limited and prejudicial. They also contend that testimony and materials related to charges on which Combs was acquitted had an unfair influence on the jury, calling them “inflammatory” and asserting they would have been inadmissible had Combs faced only the Mann Act charges.
Combs does not deny paying for escorts but maintains there was no commercial intent. Defense attorneys stated that the hip-hop impresario did not transport the escorts for his own sexual encounters, but rather to film them engaging in sex with his girlfriends in what witnesses referred to as “freak-offs.” His legal team argued these acts fall under “protected First Amendment activity.”
Prosecutors reject that argument, asserting that Combs played an active role in organizing and directing the events. “He transported escorts across state lines to engage in Freak Offs for pay. He directed the sexual activity of escorts and victims throughout Freak Offs for his own sexual gratification. And he personally engaged in sexual activity during Freak Offs,” prosecutors wrote.
Testimony during the trial described these encounters taking place across a wide range of locations, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Ibiza, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Ventura and another former partner, who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” said they coordinated travel arrangements at Combs’ direction, either through a travel agent, an escort service, or personally.
The Sept. 25 hearing will be a pivotal moment in Combs’ ongoing legal battle as he seeks to reverse his convictions just days before his scheduled sentencing.
