Nine months after being convicted in New York for transporting escorts across state lines for drug-fueled sex parties, Sean “Diddy” Combs is set to appear in a federal appeals court on Thursday to challenge his 50-month prison sentence. Acquitted last year of more serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, Combs argues that the judge overstepped by considering conduct for which the jury found him not guilty. His legal team contends the sentence is “unlawful, unconstitutional, and a perversion of justice,” claiming that his sexual activities were protected under the First Amendment as “typical amateur pornography.”
Combs’ appeal also challenges the length of his sentence, which prosecutors say was appropriate given the violent treatment of his victims. After a two-month trial, the jury convicted him of two lesser counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him on coercion and trafficking charges. Combs has been serving his sentence at Fort Dix, New Jersey, with time served prior to trial credited, and could be eligible for further reductions under the First Step Act. Prosecutors maintain that transporting people for sex across state lines is not protected speech, arguing that the sentencing judge properly considered relevant conduct even when Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges. His release date is tentatively set for April 15, 2028.
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