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Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing serious federal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The indictment alleges that Combs used his status in the music industry to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual encounters, often under the guise of romantic relationships or career advancement. Combs has denied all allegations, asserting that the sexual activities were consensual. Recently, an attorney and legal commentator said he believes Combs has around an 80% chance of getting convicted of his alleged crimes.

An attorney says ‘the odds are stacked’ against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in this case

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The Southern District of New York charged Sean “Diddy” Combs in September 2024. Attorney and legal commentator Elie Honig spoke to Stephen A. Smith about Combs’ upcoming trial and possible conviction.

“I certainly do not think the SDNY is infallible,” Honig said. “They’ve made a lot of missteps, including, most recently, throwing out the Eric Adams case ….” Adams is the current New York City mayor and gave Combs a key to the city. He later faced charges of public corruption.

“Look, I think the case is a sound case, looking at the indictment,” Honig said of Combs’ case. “I think the hype around it — maybe the SDNY helped promote this hype — got a little beyond what actually ended up happening. But, look, the odds are stacked against any criminal defendant in that courthouse.”

Honig noted that conviction rates reach 98%. However, he said this includes guilty pleas, which shouldn’t count in the metric. There’s currently no “reliable data” showing how many trials actually result in a conviction.

“But, in my experience, and just following that courthouse, 70-80% or so of all trials result in conviction,” Honig continued. “I don’t think Sean Combs is going to cut a sympathetic figure here for the jury.”

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. 

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