Latest news with #MannActof1910
New York Post
29-04-2025
- New York Post
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyers claim he might not have been mentally capable of crimes due to drug use
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team has claimed that the disgraced music mogul might not have been mentally capable of committing crimes due to his substance use. Combs, 55, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison after being charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and fraud. He is locked up without bail and his trial is set to begin May 5. On Sunday, prosecutors filed a motion to dispute any testimony that might suggest the 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper did not have the 'mental capacity' to break the law, People reports. Advertisement 4 Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team has claimed that he might not have been mentally capable of committing crimes due to his substance use. REUTERS The motion allegedly references testimony from psychiatrist Dr. Elie Aoun — as prosecutors requested that a judge prevent Aoun's testimony from being included in court. 'The noticed testimony relates to the defendant's diminished capacity to form the mens rea required to commit the charged offenses — in other words, a 'mental condition bearing on the issue of guilt,'' prosecutors wrote in their filing, per documents obtained by People. Advertisement According to the Legal Information Institute, mens rea — which means 'guilty mind' — refers to the defendant's mental state when the crime was committed. To secure a conviction, prosecutors must prove not only that the defendant committed the crime, but also that they did so with a guilty or blameworthy mindset. This must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt. 'If a defendant intends to introduce expert evidence relating to 'a mental disease or defect or any other mental condition of the defendant bearing on . . . the issue of guilt,' he must provide notice to the government,' prosecutors wrote in their objection filing. 4 Combs, 55, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison after being charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and fraud. / MEGA Advertisement 4 Combs is also accused of several assaults — including punching and kicking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a violent attack caught on camera. CNN In February, Combs' legal team claimed that the US law is racist and the reason he is being 'singled out' in what they call a 'clear case of selective prosecution.' In documents obtained by The Post, Combs' lawyers filed a motion to dismiss his transportation to engage in prostitution charge, arguing that 'no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution.' The rapper's legal team sought to have the charge thrown out on the basis that the Mann Act of 1910 has historically been used to 'target black men.' Advertisement They argue that 'the use of escorts, male or female, is common and indeed widely accepted in American culture today.' Combs is currently being held without bail in a Brooklyn lockup after pleading not guilty to federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in a bombshell indictment accusing him of a decades-long alleged reign of sexual terror. 4 Combs is currently being held without bail in a Brooklyn lockup after pleading not guilty to federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. REUTERS Prosecutors have dubbed the music honcho a 'serial abuser' for allegedly forcing women into 'freak-offs' — drug-fueled, dayslong performances of sexual depravity that an observing Combs would masturbate to, according to the indictment. He's also accused of several assaults — including punching and kicking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a violent attack caught on camera — and dangling one of his alleged victims over an apartment balcony.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Diddy lawyer quits: ‘Under no circumstances can I continue' with sex trafficking case
One of the lawyers representing Sean ' Diddy ' Combs in his upcoming sex-trafficking case has requested he be allowed to leave the defense team. Anthony Ricco filed his request in the Southern District of New York federal court. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ricco wrote: 'Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice.' Ricco also noted that his withdrawal should not delay the trial, which is scheduled to begin in May. Combs will continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Last September, Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this week, Combs's lawyers attempted to have one of the charges against the embattled music mogul thrown out over claims that the law itself is racist. In a filing seen by The Independent, his lawyers sought to have the prostitution charge dismissed on the basis that the law in question, the Mann Act of 1910, has historically been used to 'target Black men.' 'No white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution,' claimed the filing. The Mann Act was initially called the White-Slave Traffic Act and was passed at a time when there was a growing anxiety about young girls being lured into work in brothels. The filing argued that the Act has a 'long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins, used to target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them.' Combs's lawyers claimed that 'the government has concocted a criminal case based primarily on allegations that Mr Combs and two of his longtime girlfriends sometimes brought a third party - a male escort - into their sexual relationship.' They went on to argue that 'the use of escorts, male or female, is common and indeed widely accepted in American culture today' and that Combs had been 'singled out because he is a powerful black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.' They called for the charge to be dismissed on the grounds that it is 'a clear case of selective prosecution.' Over the past 16 months, at least 40 plaintiffs have sued Combs over allegations of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct. Most recently, a new lawsuit was filed against the embattled music mogul claiming that he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a teenager when she was walking home from a babysitting job. In a statement provided to The Independent at the time, Combs's legal team vehemently denied the claims against him. Last week, Combs filed a $100 million lawsuit against NBC over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy. The documentary aired on Peacock last month, featuring interviews with Combs's childhood friends, former bodyguard, former employees, alleged victims and singer Al B. Sure! (who was married to Combs's late ex, Kim Porter). In the lawsuit, Combs's lawyers argue that in the race to get the film to air, NBC 'maliciously and recklessly broadcast an outrageous set of fresh lies and conspiracy theories.' They further state that claims that Combs carried out murder and had sex with minors are false, and allege that NBC sought 'only to capitalize on the public's appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr Combs's right to a fair trial.'
The Independent
19-02-2025
- The Independent
Diddy claims he's been ‘singled out' by law with ‘racist origin'
Lawyers for Sean ' Diddy ' Combs are attempting to have one of the charges against the embattled music mogul thrown out over claims that the law itself is racist. Last September, Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied any wrongdoing. In a new filing seen by The Independent, his lawyers are seeking to have the latter charge dismissed on the basis that the law in question, the Mann Act of 1910, has historically been used to 'target Black men.' 'No white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution,' claims the filing. The Mann Act was initially called the White-Slave Traffic Act and was passed at a time when there was a growing anxiety about young girls being lured into work in brothels. The filing argues that the Act has a 'long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins, used to target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them.' Combs's lawyers claim that 'the government has concocted a criminal case based primarily on allegations that Mr Combs and two of his longtime girlfriends sometimes brought a third party - a male escort - into their sexual relationship.' They go on to argue that 'the use of escorts, male or female, is common and indeed widely accepted in American culture today' and that Combs has been 'singled out because he is a powerful black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.' They call for the charge to be dismissed on the grounds that it is 'a clear case of selective prosecution.' Over the past 16 months, at least 40 plaintiffs have sued Combs over allegations of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Most recently, a new lawsuit was filed against the embattled music mogul claiming that he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a teenager when she was walking home from a babysitting job. In a statement provided to The Independent at the time, Combs's legal team vehemently denied the claims against him. Last week, Combs filed a $100 million lawsuit against NBC over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy. The documentary aired on Peacock last month, featuring interviews with Combs's childhood friends, former bodyguard, former employees, alleged victims, and singer Al B. Sure! (who was married to Combs's late ex, Kim Porter). In the lawsuit, Combs's lawyers argue that in the race to get the film to air, NBC 'maliciously and recklessly broadcast an outrageous set of fresh lies and conspiracy theories.' They further state that claims that Combs carried out murder and had sex with minors are false, and allege that NBC sought 'only to capitalize on the public's appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr Combs's right to a fair trial.'
