Sean “Diddy” Combs has successfully secured an expedited timeline for his appeal in the ongoing legal case against him. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals approved the unopposed motion for an expedited appeal, allowing the rapper to push forward with his case more swiftly.
Diddy’s formal appellate brief is set to be submitted next month, with arguments tentatively scheduled for April. The motion to expedite the appeal was made in an effort to avoid the typical lengthy timeline associated with appeals. Diddy’s legal team argued that without a faster process, the rapper could potentially serve a large portion of his sentence before the appeal is even heard.
The music mogul is challenging both his July conviction and the subsequent four-year prison sentence handed down after he was found guilty of organizing drug-fueled sex marathons, dubbed “freak-offs,” between his girlfriends and male escorts. While jurors convicted him on charges of illegal prostitution, they acquitted him of more severe racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Typically, criminal appeals in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals can take up to 18 months to be resolved. However, with the expedited schedule, Diddy’s legal team will not face such a long delay.
“An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” argued his attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, in the court filing.
Prosecutors have agreed to the expedited process, meaning that Combs’ appeal will proceed without the typical wait. This move could potentially shorten the path to resolving his legal issues and bring the rapper one step closer to clearing his name.
