After Diddy’s legal team called for his Mann Act convictions to be reversed, arguing that he was simply “producing amateur pornography,” prosecutors are reemphasizing their stance that his “dangerousness” means he should not be released.
In an 11-page filing dated July 31, which was viewed by Complex, prosecutors point to what they say is a lack of “clear and convincing evidence” in support of the argument from Diddy’s legal team that he’s not a danger to society. On the contrary, prosecutors have again argued that Diddy remains a danger and a flight risk.
“The defendant’s extensive history of violence—and his continued attempt to minimize his recent violent conduct—demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amenable to supervision,” prosecutors wrote in the filing, which comes after a push from Diddy’s team for a release on $50 million bond. “The defendant utterly fails to establish by clear and convincing evidence, as required, that he does not pose a danger to the community.”
Earlier this week, Diddy’s lawyers, as we reported at the time, zeroed in on the Mann Act when calling for either an acquittal or a new trial for their client. In July, the Bad Boy Records mogul’s New York trial came to a close with a split verdict, with the racketeering and trafficking charges ultimately not making it across the finish line.
The trafficking issue, specifically, has received heightened attention since Diddy’s initial indictment. More recently, the nuances of the topic, not to mention the difficulty of relaying those nuances to the general public, were explored in Shawn Setaro’s Complex conversation with public speaker Halle Carr, known for her work in human trafficking education and prevention. Read the full thing here.
As for the “amateur pornography” angle and related arguments put forth by Diddy’s legal team this week, prosecutors are also hoping to ultimately have these claims shot down by the judge. As they see it, this is an effort at presenting a “minimized version of [Diddy’s] own conduct.” Diddy is not “an ordinary and casual consumer of commercial sex,” prosecutors said Thursday, arguing that used drugs and violence “to ensure that his every need was met” during what have frequently been referred to as “freak-offs.”
Sentencing is set for October.
