Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces sentencing after conviction on prostitution-related charges 

After a two-month trial and emotional testimony from dozens of witnesses that resulted in a split verdict, a federal judge is scheduled to sentence Sean “Diddy” Combs on Friday morning following his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. 

Prosecutors have pushed for the controversial rap mogul to receive a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, while Combs’ attorneys have argued for a 14-month sentence that would allow Combs to return to his family by the end of the year. 

“In my life, I have made many mistakes, but I am no longer running from them,” Combs wrote on Thursday in a letter to the judge overseeing his case. “I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused, but I understand that the mere words “I’m sorry” will never be good enough as these words alone cannot erase the pain from the past.”

The decision is now in the hands of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who has overseen Combs’ case since he was arrested over a year ago.

After hearing six weeks of testimony from 34 prosecution witnesses, a jury in July acquitted Combs of the most serious charges he faced — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — but found him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. 

Escaping charges that could have sent him away for the rest of his life, Combs immediately celebrated the split verdict when it was delivered in July, with Combs mouthing thank you to each juror and turning to his family to say, “I’m coming home, baby! I’m coming home!”

But the celebration proved premature later that day when Judge Subramanian denied Combs’ request to be released to his family, instead returning him to a federal detention center in Brooklyn, where he has spent the last year of his life.

On Friday, Combs’ lawyers will have another try at convincing the judge to release Combs, while prosecutors argue that Combs’ history of violence and alleged disrespect for the law justify a lengthy prison sentence. 

How do prosecutors justify an 11-year sentence? 

Federal prosecutors have argued that Combs deserves a lengthy sentence because of what they described as his history of violent behavior and disrespect for the law. They said that the punishment should reflect the “decades of unchecked violence” committed by Combs and “decades of psychological, emotional and physical damage he has inflicted.”

While Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, prosecutors argue that Combs is “unrepentant” for the crimes he was convicted of and left his victims in fear.

They have also pointed to hotel security camera video showing Combs violently beating his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in an instance of violence acknowledged by Combs’ own defense attorneys. 

“Incredibly, while the defendant conceded his acts of violence and abuse throughout trial, he now argues that his victims should shoulder the blame,” prosecutors wrote. 

Prosecutors submitted six letters from victims and witnesses who urged Judge Subramanian to keep Combs in prison. Two of Combs’ victims — Ventura and a former assistant who alleged Combs sexually assaulted her — three former employees, and Ventura’s parents each wrote letters. 

“I hope that your decision considers the truths at hand that the jury failed to see,” Ventura wrote. “My worries that Sean Combs or his associates will come after me and my family is my reality.”

How do defense lawyers justify a 14-month sentence? 

Combs’ lawyers argue that the rap mogul is a changed man who deserves no more than 14 months in prison. With Combs already serving 12 months in jail before and after his trial, the sentence would allow him to go home by the end of the year. 

“He has served over a year in one of the most notorious jails in America — yet has made the most of that punishment. It is time for Mr. Combs to go home to his family, so he can continue his treatment and try to make the most of the next chapter of his extraordinary life,” his lawyers wrote. 

His attorneys stressed to the judge that Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges — including allegations he coerced women into sex — and emphasized his character, calling him “an extraordinary person who has made monumental professional and personal contributions throughout his 55 years.”

“If fairness, justice, and the U.S. Constitution mean anything, the jury’s verdict should be respected. Mr. Combs should be sentenced for what he was convicted of–transporting consenting adults interstate to have sex–and nothing more,” his lawyers argued. 

 Defense lawyers also sought to bolster their argument by submitting more than 75 letters of support from Combs’ family, former employees, friends and nearly a dozen inmates who have taken his business management class in prison. 

“Please let my father out of Prison! He does not deserve to be there and has already been in jail for a year!” Combs’ 27-year-old son, Christian, wrote a letter to the court. 

Virginia Huynh — a woman who prosecutors initially alleged was a victim of Combs’ crimes — also submitted a letter in support of Combs, arguing she was pressured into identifying as a victim and does not believe she was sex trafficked or engaged in prostitution with Combs. 

“I kindly ask that you consider releasing him back to his family,” she wrote.  

Who is expected to speak at the sentencing? 

Combs plans to directly address the judge on Friday ahead of his sentencing in what his lawyers said would be “the most dignified and respectful fashion possible.”

In a letter submitted to the judge on Thursday, Combs apologized for his actions and argued he was reformed in prison, becoming sober for the first time.

“I have been putting in the work and working diligently to become the best version of myself to ensure that I never make the same mistakes again,” Combs wrote.

 The letter also stated: “I want to apologize and say how sincerely sorry I am for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct. I take full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs.”

Judge Subramanian is also allowing “Mia” — Combs’ former personal assistant who alleged that he sexually assaulted her multiple times — to deliver a victim impact statement in court. 

“Mia was incredibly brave to walk into a public courtroom and testify truthfully about the worst events of her life, and stand up for herself, her friends, and abused women everywhere,” her attorneys previously told ABC News.