Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Rejected a Plea Deal as Trial Date Looms
Sean “Diddy” Combs is set to go on trial on May 5 after rejecting a plea deal from prosecutors. The offer of the deal likely has no bearing on the strength of the prosecution’s case; rather, they are probably trying to protect the victims, said a former state prosecutor. Combs continues to maintain that he is innocent of the charges against him.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs did not take a plea deal ahead of his trial
During a hearing on April 25, federal prosecutor Madison Smyser revealed that Combs rejected a plea offer. The terms of the deal are unknown. According to former New York state prosecutor Francisco Mundaca, the offer of a plea deal does not mean the prosecution is grasping at straws.
“This frequently happens in these types of cases,” he told Rolling Stone. “With sex assault cases, prosecutors try to protect the alleged victims as much as possible. Maybe their safety is in question, or you want to protect them from having to relive what happened. Once they testify, all the details are out there. So prosecutors want to balance bringing justice on behalf of victims while also protecting them. It’s a fine line they have to walk.”
Prosecutors requested that Judge Arun Subramanian allocute Combs on the plea deal, or ask him in court if he understands the terms of the deal he rejected. Subramanian will do so at a hearing on May 1.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case suffered a blow leading up to the trial
During the April 25 hearing, Judge Subramanian ruled that the 2016 security footage of Combs beating then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a hotel could be shown to the jury. Combs’ legal team argued that CNN edited the footage and destroyed the original tape, making the video inadmissible in court. Mundaca described this ruling as a major blow to the defense.
“It’s a huge win for the prosecution, and a tough loss for the defense,” he said. “I can’t see how any jury member will be able to view that video and think favorably of Sean Combs. It’s going to be hard to watch. Visuals are so powerful at trial, they’re almost irreplaceable.”
When the footage surfaced in 2024, Combs posted an apology. He’d previously denied Ventura’s allegations against him.
His defense claims his swinger lifestyle explains his actions
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. He is hoping for an acquittal. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was a swinger and claimed the allegations against him were “part of a lifestyle.”
“It’s relevant to the defendant’s intent that there’s a lifestyle called swingers, call it whatever you will, that he was in, that he might have thought was appropriate,” Agnifilo said, per Reuters. “Part of the reason people think it’s appropriate is because it’s common.”
If convicted, Combs could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
