Diddy Seeks to Fast-Track Appeal after 50-month Sentence

Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked a federal appeals court to expedite his challenge to two Mann Act convictions, arguing that a standard briefing schedule could leave him finishing his 50-month sentence before judges rule.

The request, filed Oct. 29 with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, says Combs has already served about 14 months and could be eligible for reductions, heightening the risk that his appeal becomes “moot” if not fast-tracked, according to defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro.

Diddy was sentenced on Oct. 3 to four years and two months in prison and a $500,000 fine after a jury in July acquitted him of sex-trafficking and racketeering counts but convicted him on two counts of transporting individuas for the purpose of prostitution under the Mann Act. He has been held in New York and recently moved into the federal prison system.

The Bureau of Prisons currently lists Combs’ projected release date as May 8, 2028, though that could change based on credits and program participation.

In the filing, Combs’ team says prosecutors misapplied the Mann Act and that the government’s theory criminalized consensual adult conduct; they plan to contest both the convictions and the sentence. Earlier defense arguments similarly framed the case as an overreach of a statute with a “sordid history,” a point they intend to press on appeal.

A tentative expedited schedule circulating publicly would place opening briefs in December, government response in February, and argument in the spring, though the 2nd Circuit must approve any timeline.

Diddy maintains his innocence on the charges of transporting people for prostitution; he was cleared of the most serious allegations in July after an eight-week trial that examined his conduct toward former partners and staff.