John Quinones (7:11)

Every Sunday I gotta slow everything down and go to family ritual, get the.

Brian Buckmire (7:15)

Family together, make sure the girls watching church.

Courtroom Reporter (7:18)

There is a definition of grace.

Brian Buckmire (7:19)

That is more after the video and nearly four hours of defense arguments, it was the prosecution's final opportunity to address the judge. Prosecutor Kristi Slavik attempted to refocus the sentencing hearing a on the crimes for which Combs was convicted. The defendant very clearly knew what he was doing was wrong and illegal, she said, and he did it anyway. For 15 years, Slavik tried to compare the emotional video produced by the defense team to the grainy security camera footage showing Combs violently attacking Cassie Ventura in 2016. The defendant is a master manipulator of his own image, she said. That image is incomplete and misleading. She argued that Combs has shown disrespect for the law by continuing to offend and he continues to avoid accountability. He continued committing crimes. He viciously assaulted Jane, she said. Despite what he says now, he is not a changed man. Now you cannot trust his words. Slavik was the only person to speak for the government and then around 4pm today, we heard from Sean Combs himself. He let out a deep exhale as he rose from his seat to address the judge, the man who would soon decide his fate. I want to thank you for giving me the chance to speak up for myself, combs said. One of the hardest things I've had to handle is having to be quiet, not being able to express how sorry I am for my actions. He apologized to Cassie Ventura and the woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, his ex girlfriend. I've been humbled and broken to my core. I hate myself right now, combs said. He continued by saying he took full accountability and responsibility and quote, I know that the prosecution wants to make an example of me. I just want you to think about making an example of what a person can do is if they got another chance. If you give me another chance, I won't let you down. Judd Subramanian began his remarks by acknowledging Combs business success and impact on the black community. He also commended Combs for getting sober. However, the judge said that, quote, a history of good works cannot wash away the record in this case. He noted that even after Cassie filed her lawsuit and Combs issued an apology, the rat mogul continued to behave violently towards Jane. Judd Supermanian directly quoted a portion of Jane's testimony about a violent evening when Combs allegedly forced her into a hotel night after attacking her, an interaction that took place just months before Combs was arrested in New York. The court is not assured that if released, these crimes would not be committed again, the judge said. Judge Subramanian said that his sentence should hopefully send a message to other survivors of domestic abuse that violence against women is met with real accountability. The judge also had a message for the victims who testified. You stood up to power, the judge said. The number of people who you reached is incalculable. With that, he sentenced Sean diddy combs to 50 months, just a little over four years for the two prostitution related charges. When the sentence was read, Sean Diddy Combs sat expressionless in his seat just ahead. Reaction to the sentence and analysis Men.

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Brian Buckmire (12:03)

Alright, so let's talk about how this sentence actually works. Sean Combs is sentenced to 50 months in prison. In the federal system, you typically do only 85% of the sentence. The easiest way of calculating that is for every year, you only do 10 months in prison. But you also have to account for the fact that he's been in MDC for a little over 12 months. And so, doing my math, that's about two and a half, three years. Sean Combs could be out by spring or summer of 2028. To me, that was somewhat shocking. The words and almost the scolding that the judge gave Sean Combs and the way that he spoke about how Sean Combs past didn't negate the facts of the case made me think that he'd be closer to probation's estimate. His sentence would be closer to seven or eight years. So to come 20 months below what probation has suggested, that was a surprise. So if you got 10 defense attorneys and asked them the same question, why did the judge come to this number? I'm assuming you'll get probably 10 different answers. But this is what I imagine. I think the judge was looking at the sentencing guidelines as to what someone would do in prison if they were just convicted of this crime. And that looks something closer to three, four years. And if that's his metric, and then he's adding more time based on the violence that came from this case, based on that, 50 months is going on the higher end from what he is estimating is the proper amount of prison time a person should get. He disregarded the guidelines that were given to him and used his own assessment to see where Sean Combs should fit in that scale. And then I think he went a little above that based on everything he told Sean Combs when he sentenced him. Now, Sean Combs isn't your typical defendant for a number of reasons. I don't typically have clients who have all of this goodwill behind them. They don't have a reentry list and program already set up for them to have teaching engagements and to be monitored. They don't have a montage of videos that are this well produced. They don't have five defense attorneys not only stepping up to speak on his behalf, but talking about how he positively affected them. And I think that's unique and new to even the judge, and that could have influenced him in the sentence as well. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad there to look at, but it is unique to have this much good to calculate with a defendant in federal court. I can understand the argument that the government made that having so many character witnesses would mute or silent the voices of the victims. But for Sean Combs, it cannot be held against him, that through the decades of him being a Producer and an artist that there are a lot of people willing to come forward and say positive things. They are given an opportunity to write letters, just as all the victims that we know and do not know or did not know up until this point had an opportunity to speak as well. While not everyone was heard in this sentencing hearing, the judge went through stacks of letters that were submitted both from the defense and the government. One of them of note was from Cassie Ventura herself. Now, we haven't heard from Cassie since she left the witness stand at the start of the trial in May. In her letter, she writes, quote, if there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe. Although I can hope for justice and accountability, I have come to not trust anything. I hope that your decision considers the truths at hand that the jury failed to see. The defense submitted dozens of letters from those asking the judge to show mercy. It included letters from fellow inmates, former employees, friends, and Combs family. His mother, sister, children, and the mothers of his children. And one of the alleged victims, Gina Wynn, also known as victim number three in the federal indictment against Sean Combs, she wrote to the judge that she felt, quote, pressured to feel like a victim, but is now asking the judge to, quote, consider releasing him back to his family. It's interesting. A of the four victims the federal indictment was built around, two submitted letters with the prosecution, one submitted a letter with the defense team. And the fourth victim, Jane, has not said anything. The judge considered all of this, and he said so in his sentencing, just as he gave Sean combs 50 months in prison. Now the question is, what's next for Sean Combs after sentencing? We know that Sean Combs attorneys Mark Ignifolo and Brian Steele both said that they're seeking to appeal this sentence. Mark Nifolo believes that the strongest argument on appeal is that the judge used coercion as a basis for a lengthy sentence, a factor that he says the jury had acquitted Sean Combs of specifically those sex trafficking charges. Brian Steele says that this is a very bad day for everyone, that there's a human being now in custody for 50 months based upon conduct that the jury heard, the jury resolved and the jury rejected. Another thing the defense is likely to do is ask the judge that they be able to recommend what prison he goes to through his sentencing. And the arguments. There was a great emphasis on him being in Miami, his mother having brain surgery at the age of 83. I would imagine that a request would be made that he would be housed in a prison close to either his youngest children or his mother. From there, the Bureau of Prison will take the sentence from the judge and calculate what Sean Combs actual release date is with the arguments from the defense attorneys in terms of what what they see is a path towards appealing this criminal case. There may be a question ultimately as to how long Sean Combs will be in prison. But that's not the only question. That's only part of the story because Sean Combs defense team says he faces nearly 100 civil lawsuits. Many will likely be resolved with a settlement that we won't know what the dollar amount is, but some theoretically could go to trial. This may be the end of a long criminal saga against Sean Combs, but civilly, this is just the beginning. Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy is a production of ABC Audio. This episode was produced by Nancy Rosenbaum, Audrey Mostad and Sasha Aslanian, with help from Caitlin Schiffer. Special thanks to Katie Dendas, Kaitlyn Morris, Peter Haralamboos, Aaron Koterski and Michelle Margulis. Josh Cohan is our director of podcasting. Laura Mayer is our executive producer. For much more reaction and analysis on the sentencing of Sean Diddy combs, check out abcnews.com.

Jeff Bridges (20:07)

Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

T-Mobile Spokesperson (20:09)

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Jeff Bridges (20:12)

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you teach me so Dana.

T-Mobile Spokesperson (20:18)

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Brian Buckmire (20:30)

Wow.

Jeff Bridges (20:31)

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T-Mobile Spokesperson (20:38)

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Jeff Bridges (20:39)

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Brian Buckmire (20:41)

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible trade in in any condition.

Jeff Bridges (20:46)

So what are we having for launch?

T-Mobile Spokesperson (20:48)

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John Quinones (21:04)

Data 1H 225 Visit T mobile.com I'm John Quinones. Vanessa Guillen a 20 year old soldier vanishes while on duty at an army base in Texas. Her family demands answers.

Courtroom Reporter (21:19)

How can she go missing on a military base?

T-Mobile Spokesperson (21:21)

That's too ridiculous.

John Quinones (21:23)

The search goes on for months. Where is Vanessa? And a dark story starts to unfold.

Brian Buckmire (21:33)

She told her family that she was.

T-Mobile Spokesperson (21:35)

Being sexually harassed and wasn't reporting it.

Brian Buckmire (21:39)

Out of fear of retribution and retaliation.

John Quinones (21:42)

What investigators finally uncovered Horrifying. Find out how one soldier, a beloved sister and daughter ignited a movement and sparked a reckoning in the US Military. Listen to Vanished what Happened to Vanessa, A new series from ABC Audio in 2020. Listen now wherever you get your podcast.