Sean Combs (at proper) watches his youngsters current influence statements throughout his sentencing listening to in New York. Combs was sentenced to 50 months in jail.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
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Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
On Friday, Sean Combs was sentenced by a federal choose to 50 months in jail. The 55-year-old music mogul was convicted in July on two counts of transportation for prostitution, however acquitted on extra severe prices of intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
After a daylong listening to that culminated in Combs himself addressing the choose, talking at size for the primary time through the trial, Choose Arun Subramanian mentioned {that a} important sentence was required to “ship a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence towards ladies is met with actual accountability.”
Subramanian made his choice after listening to arguments from federal prosecutors, Combs’ protection attorneys and Combs himself. His protection attorneys had argued that their shopper ought to obtain not more than 14 months behind bars. With time already served, that might have meant he’d be launched by the top of the 12 months. Federal prosecutors, then again, requested that Subramanian sentence Combs to a minimum of 11 years and three months in jail. The utmost sentence for the 2 prices is 20 years.
The listening to was a tense and severe affair, the fruits of a generally circus-like, eight-week trial outlined by emotionally-charged testimony, celeb appearances and a buzzing courthouse filled with hordes of Combs’ supporters, social media influencers and reporters. Federal prosecutors spent six weeks presenting an elaborate, generally meandering case that accused Combs of working a legal group that enabled and hid intercourse crimes for many years. Their two most important witnesses, the singer Cassie Ventura and a girl who testified utilizing the pseudonym “Jane,” informed the court docket that Combs lured them into romantic relationships after which managed most elements of their lives, repeatedly forcing them into drug-fueled intercourse marathons with male escorts.
Combs didn’t testify through the trial itself, however he made his case for leniency on to Choose Subramanian on the finish of the day-long sentencing listening to. In a 10-minute deal with, he apologized to Ventura and Jane in addition to to all home violence survivors who might have been triggered by the CNN video.
“My actions had been disgusting, shameful and sick,” Combs mentioned. “I’ve been humbled and damaged all the way down to my core. I hate myself proper now.”
There was a brief break after Combs spoke, earlier than Choose Subramanian returned to ship the sentence. In his remarks, he centered first on the witnesses who testified about abuse at Combs’ arms. He quoted Jane’s testimony and browse instantly from a sufferer influence assertion Ventura submitted. Then addressed these witnesses instantly, applauding their bravery for talking out. “What you taught us right here by coming ahead is even when you had been a sufferer, you do not all the time need to be,” he mentioned.
Chatting with Combs, Choose Subrmanian mentioned that “abuse will not be one thing you’ll be able to wash away.” When the choose introduced the sentence, Combs remained stoic.
In a assertion following the listening to, Ventura’s attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Meredith Firetog mentioned, “Whereas nothing can undo the trauma brought on by Combs, the sentence imposed in the present day acknowledges the influence of the intense offenses he dedicated. We’re assured that with the assist of her household and pals, Ms. Ventura will proceed therapeutic figuring out that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many.”
Combs has been held in a Brooklyn jail since his arrest final September. With the time he has already served and a diminished sentence for good conduct, he could possibly be launched in as little as two and a half years, based mostly on federal pointers. His sentence additionally features a $500,000 nice, the utmost allowable for his conviction, in addition to 5 years of supervised launch.
Combs’ protection workforce spent a lot of the trial combating prices of intercourse trafficking by working to discredit the testimony of ladies who alleged that Combs had abused them. A lot of this technique relied on introduced textual content message proof by which Ventura and Jane every seemed to be agreeing to the encounters and serving to to plan them throughout confrontational cross-examination. After the prosecution introduced greater than two dozen witnesses — together with Combs’ former staff, federal brokers and pals of the alleged victims — the protection known as none, and rested its case in below half-hour. Finally, a jury acquitted Combs of intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, however discovered him responsible of transporting Jane and Ventura throughout state traces to interact in industrial intercourse.
Regardless of Combs’ acquittal on probably the most severe prices, no person — not even his personal attorneys — denied that he induced hurt. A key piece of proof within the case was a 2016 surveillance video of Combs beating Ventura in a resort hallway. All through the trial, Combs’ protection attorneys conceded that their shopper had a historical past of home violence, however argued the federal government was not charging him for these crimes.
Throughout Friday’s sentencing listening to, a number of of Combs’ protection attorneys spoke on his behalf, detailing his self-made journey to changing into a document producer, rapper and entrepreneur, and underscoring what he represents to the Black group as a profitable businessman who broke obstacles in music, vogue and media. One in every of his attorneys broke down in tears as she addressed the choose, explaining his significance to the Black group, and to her personally. The protection contended that Combs had reformed whereas in jail, getting sober and changing into a mentor to many inmates round him. Additionally they argued that he wants ongoing remedy for psychological well being and substance abuse challenges.
Halfway by way of the arguments by Combs’ attorneys, Six of the rapper’s youngsters approached the rostrum collectively and made emotional pleas to the choose. Combs’ twin daughters mentioned how arduous it was to lose their mom — referring to the 2018 loss of life of Combs’ ex-girlfriend Kim Porter — and requested the choose not to remove their father, as effectively. When Combs spoke later, he informed his youngsters he was very pleased with them for talking up.
Prosecutors pointed to Combs’ violent conduct as a justification for an extended sentence. Subramanian echoed that argument in his deal with to Combs as he delivered the sentence. Talking in regards to the abuse suffered by Ventura and Jane, he requested, “Why did it occur so lengthy? Since you had the facility and assets to maintain it going, and since you did not get caught.”
Throughout his deal with, Combs mentioned that if launched, he hoped to work with and educate different incarcerated males. “I am sorry to my group. I let y’all down,” he mentioned.
Whereas delivering his sentence, Choose Subramanian recommended Combs for his charity work and devotion to his household, in addition to his dedication to uplifting communities of coloration. And he acknowledged that the sentence was longer than Combs might need anticipated, however implored him to consider the distinction he might make after serving his time.
“You and your loved ones, you’re going to get by way of this,” he mentioned. “There’s a mild on the finish of this tunnel.”
This text contains reporting by Juliana Kim.
