Copyright Men's Journal
Last month, Sean “Diddy” Combs was officially sent to prison, where he is currently serving an estimated 50-month prison sentence. However, his legal team is appealing the case, and it sounds like a judge has already made one decision in the entertainment mogul’s favor. Shortly after Diddy began his prison sentence, his legal team filed a motion for an expedited appeal. Now, it sounds like a judge has made a decision in on that motion from his lawyers. Diddy Requested Faster Appeal Late last month, Diddy’s lawyers filed a motion for an expedited appeal of his conviction, arguing that a faster appeals schedule was necessary to ensure that the star did not serve more time than necessary. “An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said last month. Shapiro says his client has already served 14 months of the 50-month sentence, and he could see his sentence further reduced by 12 months if a previous transfer request is accepted and if Combs completes the Residential Drug Abuse Program for inmates with substance abuse issues. Diddy’s Response to Conviction Following the conviction, Diddy’s attorneys made it clear that the entertainment mogul planned to appeal the conviction, challenging the use of the Mann Act, which is a federal law that prohibits the transportation of a person across state or national borders for prostitution or other illegal sexual activity. “Sean’s appeal will challenge the unfair use of the Mann Act, an infamous statute with a sordid history, to prosecute him for sex with consenting adults,” Shapiro said. Diddy himself responded to the conviction with a letter to the judge. “In my life, I have made many mistakes, but I am no longer running from them,” Combs said in a letter to a judge before his sentencing. “I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused, but I understand that the mere words ‘I’m sorry’ will never be good enough, as these words alone cannot erase the pain from the past.” Judge Makes Decision on Expedited Appeal This week, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Beth Robinson approved Diddy’s request for an expedited appeals process, according to NBC News. Robinson, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit based in New York, outlined an updated schedule for the appeals process, saying that Combs’ brief is due by Dec. 23, the U.S. government’s brief is due by Feb. 20, and Combs’ team’s reply is due by March 13. Obviously, that process still will not be complete for a number of months, but it is still an expedited process.
