Diddy is not going down without a fight.
As his legal team promised earlier this month, Sean "Diddy" Combs filed for an appeal in the federal criminal case that landed him a 50-month prison sentence.
In papers filed in Manhattan federal court and reviewed by Complex on Monday (Oct. 20), Diddy announced that he's appealing not only the sentence levied by Judge Arun Subramanian, but also the trial verdict, in which the jury found him guilty of two counts of violating the Mann Act with his "freak offs" — hours or days-long, drug-fueled sexual encounters he'd arrange and often film, involving girlfriends (including Cassie Ventura) and male escorts.
Diddy will be represented in his appeals battle by a familiar face. Alexandra Shapiro was one of the Bad Boy head's lawyers during his trial, and also handled his pre-trial appeal over bail issues last year. Shapiro is, per the bio on her firm's website, "one of the nation’s leading appellate lawyers" who "has won appellate reversals in many criminal and civil cases."
TMZ reports that Shapiro is expected to file her initial brief in the case "within 4 to 6 weeks." Combs' appeal will ultimately be decided by a panel of three judges.
As mentioned, the appeal does not come as a surprise. Following the mogul's sentencing on Oct. 3, his attorneys spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.
Diddy's lead attorney Marc Agnifilo claimed then that Judge Subramanian acted as a "13th juror" during the sentencing and "second-guessed the jury's verdict." At that press conference, Agnifilo announced that Combs was planning to appeal.
If Combs' prison sentence is not overturned on appeal, he faces harsh restrictions after it's over. Court documents filed last week revealed the terms of the 60-month supervised release that will follow his time behind bars.
Diddy is mandated to get outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, mental health treatment, and to participate in a domestic violence intervention program.
He also has to submit to searches of his person, home, vehicle, computers, and electronic devices at any time, without prior notice — though the authorities must have "reasonable suspicion" of wrongdoing to do so. He must also provide access to financial records at the request of his probation officer, avoid contact with victims in the case, including through third parties, and refrain from possessing firearms or ammunition.