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Diddy was back in court Thursday for another hearing ahead of his federal trial, which is set to begin Monday.
Despite the fact that he’s facing life behind bars if convicted, the music mogul — whose real name is Sean Combs — formally rejected a plea deal during today’s appearance in front of the judge.
Prosecutors made their offer ahead of the hearing, so the exact terms are unclear.
But today, Combs officially declared that he would not be accepting the deal, which would’ve likely led to a much shorter sentence.
Sean Combs attends the ‘Killing Them Softly’ Premiere during 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 22, 2012 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
According to ABC News, when Judge Arun Subramanian asked him whether he rejected the plea deal federal prosecutors had offered, Diddy responded, “Yes I do, your honor.”
Combs was arrested last year on rape and sex trafficking charges. He’s been behind bars ever since after several bail requests were denied.
The rapper asked for a delay to his May 5 trial in the hope of allowing his legal team more time to prepare, but that request was also denied.
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends TimesTalks Presents: An Evening with Sean “Diddy” Combs at The New School on September 20, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
The rejection of the plea deal might be an indication that Combs is optimistic about his chances of being acquitted.
But it’s equally possible that the deal offered by prosecutors would have required multiple decades behind bars, and Combs was simply unwilling to pay that price.
Jury selection is set to start on Monday, with opening arguments scheduled for May 12.
Today’s hearing was a brief but contentious one, as attorneys for Combs lashed out about the behavior of opposing counsel.
Diddy performs onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV)
Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos raised concerns about public comments made by Lisa Bloom, an attorney who is representing two of Diddy’s alleged victims in civil trials.
“We’re concerned with her behavior here,” said Geragos.
With more than 20 witnesses set to testify, prosecutors seem quite certain of their case against Diddy. And if he’s convicted, it’s very unlikely that he’ll ever walk free.
The racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs carries a maximum sentence of life in prison on its own.
The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and as much as a life sentence.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Diddy Rejects Plea Deal, Will Face Life In Prison When Sex Trafficking Trial Starts on … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
Diddy was back in court Thursday for another hearing ahead of his federal trial, which is set to begin Monday.
Despite the fact that he’s facing life behind bars if convicted, the music mogul — whose real name is Sean Combs — formally rejected a plea deal during today’s appearance in front of the judge.
Prosecutors made their offer ahead of the hearing, so the exact terms are unclear.
But today, Combs officially declared that he would not be accepting the deal, which would’ve likely led to a much shorter sentence.
Sean Combs attends the ‘Killing Them Softly’ Premiere during 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 22, 2012 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
According to ABC News, when Judge Arun Subramanian asked him whether he rejected the plea deal federal prosecutors had offered, Diddy responded, “Yes I do, your honor.”
Combs was arrested last year on rape and sex trafficking charges. He’s been behind bars ever since after several bail requests were denied.
The rapper asked for a delay to his May 5 trial in the hope of allowing his legal team more time to prepare, but that request was also denied.
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends TimesTalks Presents: An Evening with Sean “Diddy” Combs at The New School on September 20, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
The rejection of the plea deal might be an indication that Combs is optimistic about his chances of being acquitted.
But it’s equally possible that the deal offered by prosecutors would have required multiple decades behind bars, and Combs was simply unwilling to pay that price.
Jury selection is set to start on Monday, with opening arguments scheduled for May 12.
Today’s hearing was a brief but contentious one, as attorneys for Combs lashed out about the behavior of opposing counsel.
Diddy performs onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV)
Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos raised concerns about public comments made by Lisa Bloom, an attorney who is representing two of Diddy’s alleged victims in civil trials.
“We’re concerned with her behavior here,” said Geragos.
What’s next for Diddy?
With more than 20 witnesses set to testify, prosecutors seem quite certain of their case against Diddy. And if he’s convicted, it’s very unlikely that he’ll ever walk free.
The racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs carries a maximum sentence of life in prison on its own.
The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and as much as a life sentence.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Diddy Rejects Plea Deal, Will Face Life In Prison When Sex Trafficking Trial Starts on … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.