P Diddy’s request for a new trial came with some pushback from prosecutors, who claimed their evidence against the rapper was more than sufficient for a prostitution conviction
Prosecutors in the Sean “P. Diddy” Combs trial responded to his team’s request for a new trial.
In a letter to the judge, which was obtained by The Mirror US, they claimed that evidence of the defendants guilt on the Mann Act counts was overwhelming.” The Mann Act charges were the only that led to a conviction. Otherwise, Diddy was acquitted on racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. He pled not guilty to all charges and continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.
The Mann Act, which the defense team previously cited the racist origins of, prohibits transportation to engage in prostitution. According to witness testimony, Diddy paid escorts. However, during the trial, his team claimed those involved in his “freak offs” were consensual adults, not prostitutes. While some were escorts, his team claimed he paid for their time, not necessarily the sex that transpired.
Teny Geragos told jurors in her opening statement, “This case is about voluntary, adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships. This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case, a prostitution case, and a sex trafficking case. It will not work.”
However, lead prosecutor Maurene Comey, who has since been fired, told the jury, “When the defendant flew those men out and paid them it wasn’t for their scintillating conversation.”
In their letter to the judge, which asked to throw out the jury verdict and spur a new trial, the defense team argued that the evidence used during the trial typically would not have been admitted if the other charges weren’t involved.
Now that he was acquitted on all other charges, the defense asked the judge to start a new trial, limiting the scope of the arguments down to just the two Mann Act charges.
Diddy’s team asked the judge “to set aside the jurys verdict or grant a new trial.” They claimed the guilty verdicts “are legally unsupported, constitutionally flawed, and inconsistent with longstanding Department of Justice policy,” according to the rapper’s defense team.
His team told the Mirror US in a statement at the time of filing, “The defense notes that Mr. Combs is the only person ever convicted under this statute where there was no commercial motive, no coercion, no sex, and no financial benefit. The jury rejected every trafficking and racketeering charge, confirming that the governments central theory collapsed at trial.”
During the trial, one escort claimed he was paid up to $6,000 for sexual encounters, which were often hosted at upscale hotels. His story was echoed by multiple male escorts during the trial.
Nicholas Biase, Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of New York, previously declined to comment. The Mirror US contacted a representative for Diddy for comment.
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