Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs now sober and humbled, his lawyers tell judge as they ask for lighter sentence
**Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Lawyers Urge Judge for Lenient Sentence After Prostitution-Related Conviction**
*NEW YORK (AP)* — Lawyers representing music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have requested that a judge sentence him to no more than 14 months in prison for his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. Such a sentence would allow Combs to be released almost immediately, should the judge agree.
In a written submission to Judge Arun Subramanian, who is set to decide Combs’s sentence on October 3, the legal team emphasized that their client has already endured significant punishment.
“Mr. Combs’s celebrity status in the realms of music, fashion, spirits, media, and finance has been shattered and Mr. Combs’s legacy has been destroyed,” they wrote.
### Life Behind Bars: Harsh Conditions and Threats
The court filing also shed light on Combs’s experience during his nearly 13 months in custody. According to his lawyers, he has endured constant surveillance by guards and faced at least one threat of violence.
In one incident, an inmate approached Combs with a shiv—a makeshift blade—accusing him of sitting in his chair. Combs reportedly defused the situation calmly.
Additionally, Combs has been under continuous suicide watch, requiring him to present his identification card to guards every two hours to confirm his wellbeing. He is frequently awakened in a brightly lit cell and must heat his drinking water due to concerns over its cleanliness.
Accommodated in a dorm-style room, Combs sleeps within two feet of other inmates and uses a bathroom without a door. His lawyers noted, “Mr. Combs has not breathed fresh air in nearly 13 months, or felt sunlight on his skin,” adding that he often walks with a limp due to a painful knee injury that requires surgery. The food provided has sometimes contained maggots.
### A Changed Man: Sobriety and Reflection
Despite the harsh conditions, Combs’s lawyers paint a picture of transformation. Prison has allowed Combs to become sober for the first time in 25 years.
They portrayed him as a man who has taken responsibility for his previous overuse of drugs—including prescribed medications—and acknowledged how this contributed to violent behavior.
“Without minimizing Mr. Combs’s conduct, this is in many ways a ‘sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll’ story,” the lawyers stated.
During the trial, two former girlfriends testified at length about being pressured into drug-fueled sexual encounters with male sex workers under Combs’s watch.
R&B singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura described being beaten by Combs when she displeased him. Another ex-girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” recounted instances of physical abuse, including being put in a chokehold and punched during a fit of rage.
Combs’s legal team depicted him as “a humbled man,” quoting him as having told a probation officer:
> “I used to call myself a king. But I didn’t act like a king. I didn’t act like a man. This situation has made me become a man, a man who knows and understands his responsibilities.”
### Career and Reputation in Ruins
The fallout from the conviction has severely impacted Combs’s career and reputation, his lawyers said. Over 100 employees have been laid off from his companies, many of whom struggle to find new jobs due to their association with him.
His seven children have also faced “devastating consequences,” missing out on business opportunities in acting, television, fashion, and concerts. Some have been included in nearly 100 civil lawsuits filed against Combs since his arrest.
Further, a Hulu series chronicling Combs’s family life was canceled after the allegations surfaced.
Combs was removed from the boards of three charter schools he founded in Harlem, the Bronx, and Connecticut. He was also stripped of an honorary doctoral degree from Howard University, which plans to return his prior donations.
### Prosecutors to Recommend Lengthy Prison Term
While Combs’s lawyers urge leniency, prosecutors have indicated they will recommend a lengthy prison term. They emphasize Combs’s “extensive history of violence” and argue that attempts to minimize his conduct show he remains a danger.
Combs was convicted in July of two violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits interstate commerce related to prostitution. Prosecutors allege that he arranged paid sexual encounters between his girlfriends and male sex workers. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
However, Combs was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that could have resulted in a life sentence.
The final decision on his sentencing is expected on October 3.
https://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-defense-tells-judge-sean-diddy-combs-has-served-enough-time-behind-bars/
