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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal fight is closing in on a breaking point. On Tuesday (Sept. 30), a federal judge rejected his push for a new trial and denied acquittal, locking in his sentencing date for this Friday (Oct. 3).
“The government proved its case many times over,” U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian wrote in court documents. The ruling leaves the 55-year-old mogul—once hip hop’s most untouchable figure—waiting on a decision that could define the rest of his life.
Prosecutors want Combs to serve 11 years and three months, citing other cases where similar charges carried decade-long sentences. In their filing, they argued that while he was cleared of racketeering and sex trafficking, his conviction on two prostitution-related counts still reflects violent and intimidating behavior that can’t be ignored.
Diddy ‘s defense team is asking for something drastically different: no more than 14 months, a sentence that would make his year behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center nearly enough to cover the time.
The court also received a letter from Cassie Ventura, who wrote that Combs has “upended many lives with his abuse and control,” urging the judge to weigh the harm he’s caused as sentencing approaches.
Back in July, Combs was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted on racketeering and trafficking. Each charge carries up to 10 years, but how Judge Subramanian chooses to stack them—or not—will decide whether the Bad Boy Records founder faces just months or over a decade inside.
This Friday’s sentencing won’t just close out one of hip hop’s most high-profile trials in recent memory—it will cement where Sean Combs stands in a culture he once dominated.
