Diddy Confirms He Rejected Plea Deal From Prosecutors Before Sex Trafficking Trial

Diddy was back in court for one final hearing before his criminal trial and he told the judge he rejected a plea deal presented to him by federal prosecutors. Diddy strolled into a Manhattan courtroom wearing a tan jail jumpsuit, looking gray and thin and he waved to the public and media seated in the gallery before taking a seat at the defense table between two of his attorneys, Teny Geragos and Brian Steel. Diddy was smiling and in good spirits chatting with Teny and Brian and he was chummy and seemed unfazed by the upcoming trial. The judge asked Diddy if he rejected a written plea offer from the government and Diddy replied, "Yes, I did. Diddy was also asked if he was aware he would potentially serve more time in prison if he's convicted than if he took a plea deal and Diddy told the judge he understood the stakes prosecutors offered a sentence close to what the defendant would receive if convicted. Commonly, they don't expect the defendant to accept the deal instead, prosecutors are guarding against grounds for appeal. If prosecutors didn't offer it, it could give Diddy a post-conviction argument that his attorneys didn't effectively represent his interests and, therefore, he should get a new trial. The hearing also touched on jury selection with the judge saying jury selection would begin Monday, May 5, at 8 AM sharp, with the goal of selecting a jury within 3 days. Diddy has pled not guilty to all five charges he's facing two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering.

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