Sean “Diddy” Combs appeals for immediate release

Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked an appeals court to release him from prison and overturn his conviction for two prostitution-related crimes.

In a request for an expedited appeal, the rap mogul’s lawyer argued that he was improperly convicted and that the conduct that resulted in his conviction was not criminal in nature.

Attorney Alexandra Shapiro called Combs’ 50-month prison sentence “unlawful, unconstitutional and a perversion of justice.” She asked an appeals court to order that Combs be resentenced, if the panel chose not to throw out his conviction in its entirety.

The request is his team’s latest attempt to reduce his sentence or overturn his conviction.

The Southern District of New York, which sued Combs, declined to comment on the request to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Combs’ lawyers previously said they would appeal his sentence and conviction.

Federal prosecutors in New York accused Combs of using his money, power and the threat of violence to coerce women into unwanted sex.

During a high-profile trial this spring, the jury heard from two of Combs’ ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified under the name “Jane Doe.” They said Combs abused them and forced them to participate in so-called “freak-offs” with male escorts.

The jury found Combs not guilty of the two most serious charges: racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. They found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

In September, after his conviction, Combs asked Judge Arun Subramanian to consider an acquittal or a new trial, citing objections to how an anti-prostitution law known as the Mann Act was used to prosecute Combs. This offer was unsuccessful.

Before his sentencing, Combs’ attorneys argued that he should receive a brief sentence that would essentially amount to time served, a request that would have paved the way for a quick release. Prosecutors, however, asked the judge to send Combs to prison for at least 11 years.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately sentenced Combs to more than four years in prison. He said he considered Combs’ contributions to society and the testimonies of his family and friends, but “a history of good works cannot erase your record.”

Combs’ appeal argues that Judge Subramanian did not properly follow sentencing guidelines when he sentenced him to 50 months in prison.

He contends the judge “flouted” the new guidelines and inappropriately took into account the conduct for which Combs was acquitted when crafting his sentence. The filing argues that the judge “acted as a thirteenth juror” in the case and calls the sentence “draconian.”

Before Judge Subramanian handed down his sentence, Combs apologized to Ms. Ventura and “Jane.”

“My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick,” Combs said. “I lost myself in excess, I lost myself in my ego.”

Combs also faces dozens of pending civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation. Numerous lawsuits allege the rapper used his fame and power to silence his accusers through threats. Some detail allegations that the rapper – or those who worked for him – drugged people at parties before the alleged assaults.

Representatives for Mr. Combs have repeatedly stated that he “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — male or female, adult or minor.”