Celebrity Lawyer Chris Melcher Explains Diddy’s 50-Month Sentence

[Source: KNX News Radio]

Celebrity lawyer and legal analyst Christopher C. Melcher, who is ranked as a best family law attorney in Los Angeles, California, explains Diddy‘s 50-month sentence in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

Host:

Back now to our big breaking story. This Friday afternoon, Sean Diddy Combs has been sentenced to just over four years in prison in his sex trafficking and racketeering case involving sex workers, violence and those so-called freak-offs. The judge said today that the sentence was needed for deterrence. And that he was unconvinced that if Combs was released, that these crimes won’t happen again. With us now is celebrity attorney and legal analyst, Chris Melcher. Chris, first off, what do you make of this sentence?

Diddy’s Transportation of Prostitution Verdict

Chris Melcher:

Well, it’s a lot lower than the prosecutor had sought of 11 years, and certainly a lot higher than Diddy requested, which was to walk out of jail today. Based on the time that he’s already served in custody. The judge ultimately said, even though Diddy was acquitted of sex trafficking and RICO charges, the ones that could have sent him away for life, he got this much lower guilty verdict of transportation of prostitution. The court said, there were acts of violence involved in that and unrepentant conduct, so, said 50 months in custody.

Sending a Message to Abusers

Host:

Something that stuck out to me too, that the judge had said, based on reports from inside the courtroom, is that, a substantial sentence is required, “to send a message to abusers and victims alike, that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.”

Chris Melcher:

Well, sure. And that’s a proper objective here. The thing that I struggle with is that, the jury acquitted Diddy Combs of transporting these women by fraud or force. And here the judge is considering the force in heightening his sentence. Now, of course, we all saw the video of Diddy beating Cassie Ventura in the lobby of the L.A. hotel room, where she was trying to escape a freak-off or after a freak-off. The violence undoubtedly occurred, but still the jury is the one who found insufficient evidence of force. But the judge said, “Hey, I’m considering everything here, and 50 months is the appropriate sentence.”

Judge is Holding Diddy Accountable

Host:

As far as the arguments on the side of the defense that Diddy would behave, the judge didn’t seem to buy that, did he?

Chris Melcher:

No. And certainly this behavior by Diddy was pervasive. This went over many years with multiple women. He spent a lot of time planning and engaging these really depraved acts. The thought that Diddy would not have these urges or desires to continue doing this thing is maybe far-fetched. He’s certainly going to need extensive treatment, which he’s offered to do once he’s released. But the judge said he’s got to be more accountable than the about 13, 14 months that he served in custody so far.

Host:

What did you make of the whole case, overall?

Statute of Limitations Played a Role

Chris Melcher:

It was overcharged. And this is conduct that would’ve properly been charged under state laws, domestic abuse or kidnapping, assault. But it happened so long, that the statute of limitations of the time to charge him had passed. The only available charging was under federal law, under this RICO or transportation charges. And they didn’t do anything about it until that video of him beating Cassie came out. And I think at that point, the federal prosecutors couldn’t ignore it, but rather than just charging him with what he really did, they went after him with these extreme charges, which they failed to prove at trial.

Speaker 1:

Top family law attorney and legal analyst, Chris Melcher, thank you so much for your time, sir. Appreciate it. Make sure to follow Chris on Twitter at @CA_Divorce.

Chris Melcher:

Thank you.