What Happens To Diddy's Civil Lawsuits? How His Convictions Could Help Plaintiffs
Sean "Diddy" Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage) WireImage
Combs was convicted on two criminal counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted on two counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering conspiracy, but the music mogul still faces sentencing in his criminal case, as well as dozens of civil lawsuits.
Mark Zauderer, a veteran trial and appellate lawyer, told Forbes the verdict is 'only going to help plaintiffs in civil cases,' stating the criminal trial could provide civil suit plaintiffs a 'roadmap to witnesses with helpful testimony.'
Even though Combs was acquitted on sex trafficking in the criminal trial, his conviction on transportation to engage in prostitution could help support the civil suit plaintiffs' claims of sexual abuse or trafficking if evidence overlaps, Zauderer said, noting civil cases have a lower standard of proof required to find a defendant liable.
'At a minimum, [plaintiffs] are going to get an advantage by seeking evidence that may be admissible in the civil case about the conduct of the defendant,' Zauderer said.
Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow said Combs would not be able to point to his sex trafficking acquittal in his criminal trial as 'proof he didn't commit misconduct against these plaintiffs.'
Chutkow said, though, Combs' acquittal on sex trafficking and racketeering charges could be discouraging to potential civil plaintiffs who have already sued or may have planned to sue Combs, stating they would have seen the 'excruciating' testimonies of his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and 'Jane Doe,' who testified under a pseudonym.
Combs may have to be prepared to pay significant amounts of money if he settles or owes damages to plaintiffs in his civil lawsuits, should they proceed to trial. Chutkow said Combs' settlement with Ventura, reported to be $20 million, was likely so large because of both the severity of Ventura's claims and his willingness to contain a scandal. Zauderer told Forbes courts could seize Combs' assets or money from his various businesses to make payouts to successful plaintiffs. If his civil cases proceed to trial, Combs may be more likely to testify, which he did not do in his criminal trial. 'In a civil case, if you don't testify, that can be harmful to you,' Chutkow said, stating there is an expectation both the defense and prosecution will present a case, unlike in criminal cases, in which the burden of proof is on prosecutors. Tangent
Because civil and criminal cases have different standards of proof, if a jury feels the evidence is not strong enough to convict in a criminal case, it may still be enough to find a defendant liable in a civil case. In a criminal case, jurors must believe a defendant is guilty 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' a much higher standard of proof than civil cases, which abide by the 'preponderance of the evidence' standard, meaning jurors must believe the defendant is more likely than not to be liable. Chutkow pointed to a famous example where a civil and criminal trial ended in different ways: O.J. Simpson was found not guilty for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in his criminal trial, but in a civil trial, he was found liable for their deaths and was ordered to pay $33.5 million to their relatives.
Ventura filed a quickly settled civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, accusing him of sex trafficking, rape and physical abuse. Ventura's lawsuit kicked off a barrage of at least 70 suits filed against Combs, many of which were supported by attorney Tony Buzbee, and most of which accuse him of sexual assault, sex trafficking or physical abuse. Some of these lawsuits were filed by celebrities, including Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, who also testified in his criminal trial. Richard accused Combs of physical abuse and 'inhumane working conditions.' Producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones sued Combs for alleged sexual assault, sex trafficking and racketeering, though a judge later tossed the racketeering claims. Some of the lawsuits involve minors, including plaintiff Liza Gardner, who sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of drugging and assaulting her when she was 16 years old in 1990. Combs has consistently denied all allegations made in the dozens of lawsuits filed against him. Surprising Fact
Combs was sued multiple times in the final days of his criminal trial. On Tuesday, Edmond Laurent, a former model and actor, sued Combs and several anonymous co-defendants in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and sexual battery, accusing Combs and a woman of drugging and raping him in the late 2000s. Another lawsuit filed last Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court accused Combs and his son, Justin Combs, of luring a woman from Louisiana to Los Angeles with the promise of a job, where they, alongside two other men, allegedly gang-raped her. What's Next For Combs' Criminal Trial?
Combs' sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 3, but Judge Arun Subramanian set a hearing for July 8 for both sides to present arguments for whether his sentencing should be expedited. Until he is sentenced, Combs will remain in jail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. Combs' legal team requested he be released on bail, but the judge denied the request, noting the defense had conceded Combs has a violent past, citing the surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. If Combs is given the maximum sentence on both convictions, he could serve a total of 20 years in prison, but prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday federal sentencing guidelines could support a sentence of about four to five years in prison, while the defense is pushing for less time. Further Reading
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Denied Bail After Trial (Forbes)
Cassie, 50 Cent And More Major Reactions To Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Verdict (Forbes)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘I need to understand what happened': Family of Officer Krystal Rivera asks for answers as lawyers announce civil investigation
The family of slain Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera is calling for city agencies to relinquish the investigation of her death and, instead, turn over the probe to the Illinois State Police as they pursue legal avenues. The slain officer's parents and their attorney also asked that the city release the body-worn camera footage that captured the fatal June 5 shooting — despite a standing order from a Cook County judge preventing the public release. Rivera's mother Yolanda and stepfather Rico Thompson, flanked by friends, family and staff at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, said her mother needed to understand what happened June 5 to make Rivera the first CPD officer to die of friendly fire in nearly 40 years. 'I need to understand what happened that night,' Yolanda Rivera said. 'I need to know the truth. Krystal believed in protecting and serving with honor. Please honor her. Let this moment be guided by truth.' Her stepfather echoed that thought, asking city leaders to be open. 'We are here asking both Mayor Johnson and Superintendent Snelling for full transparency,' Thompson said. 'We as a family need answers and believe the people of Chicago deserve them as well.' Attorney Antonio Romanucci stopped short of announcing plans for a lawsuit against the city, but said 'we are looking at all our civil avenues of justice' and that some of those avenues were 'very viable.' Romanucci ticked through a long list of questions about the shooting and said they needed to know more about Officer Carlos Baker, whom the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has identified as the fellow tactical officer who accidentally shot Rivera as she pursued a suspect down a hallway of a Chatham apartment building. Romanucci noted six complaints were lodged against Baker in his relatively short career with CPD, including an allegation that he flashed a gun at a woman he had been talking to while she was on a date with another man inside a restaurant. Other allegations included excessive force and neglect of duty, according to records from the city's Office of Inspector General. 'We believe that the warning signs had been there for years,' Romanucci said. 'He never should have been an officer. In other licensed professions, this type of probationary behavior would have been the end of that person's career.' Rivera and Baker, both part of the Gresham (6th) District tactical team, were trying to make a traffic stop on a suspect and chased him into an apartment at 8210 S. Drexel Ave., police have said. Inside the apartment, they met a man later identified as 25-year-old Adrian Rucker, of Freeport, who allegedly pointed a rifle at them. Prosecutors said that Rivera was running down a hallway when she was shot. Authorities late last month charged Jaylin Arnold, 27, with multiple felonies in connection with Rivera's death. The family had seen some of the body-camera footage that captured the shooting, but Romanucci said they still had many questions about how the attempted arrest and shooting unfolded. 'If that event were as clear as what's being portrayed, we wouldn't be standing at this podium right now,' he said. Although an order from a Cook County judge prohibits the release of the body-worn camera footage pending trial for two people who are in custody in connection with the shooting, Romanucci suggested that the order could be modified at the request of CPD and the Cook County state's attorney's office. 'The shooting incident remains under the jurisdiction of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability,' Chicago police said after the news conference. 'The officer involved will remain on routine administration duties.' The state's attorney's office immediately responded to a request for comment. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled Rivera's death a homicide by gunshot wound to the back. The Tribune has requested a copy of the full autopsy report, though it's not yet finalized, according to the medical examiner. A CPD incident report from the night of the shooting said Rivera was shot in her left flank. In a short, emotional statement, Yolanda Rivera said she would continue to care for her granddaughter as she mourned her daughter, whom she described as 'the light of my life.' 'We spoke every single day,' she said. 'She was the one that I turned to for comfort, for laughter, for strength. There wasn't a part of my world that didn't include her.' Fatal friendly fire involving CPD officers is exceedingly rare. City records show Rivera was the first Chicago cop in nearly four decades to die by a colleague's bullet. In September 1986, Jay Brunkella, a 39-year-old tactical officer in the Rogers Park District (24th), was among a team of officers conducting surveillance on a longtime marijuana dealer who operated north of Howard Street. Brunkella, an 18-year department veteran, and his partner left their post and tried to take the man into custody. With his police radio in one hand and his pistol in the other, Brunkella's partner struggled to arrest the suspect. During the scuffle, the partner's gun discharged and a bullet struck Brunkella in the chest. He died 12 days later, and the drug dealer was charged with felony murder. A jury later found him guilty and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Two jurors, however, soon contacted the judge who oversaw the case to say the conviction was wrong. Three CPD officers told the judge that the officer who shot Brunkella had shot and wounded another CPD officer years earlier, the Tribune reported at the time. Cook County court records show the man appealed his conviction to the state appellate court but was denied. Though two men now face an array of weapons and narcotics charges in connection with the shooting of Krystal Rivera, neither faces a count of murder in her death. A Cook County judge last month granted a motion from the Cook County state's attorney's office that prohibits any city agency from releasing materials related to the shooting — officer body-worn camera and other memoranda — as those criminal cases are pending. Similar orders are often entered in criminal cases that stem from police shootings, and those orders are lifted once a case is adjudicated. Matt McGrath, a spokesman for the state's attorney's office, said in a statement last month that said the motion is standard in criminal cases. 'To clarify, the motion to shield body-worn camera footage in this case is standard and related to the ongoing criminal prosecution of two defendants charged with serious felony gun and narcotics possession offenses — neither of whom is a police officer,' McGrath said in the statement.
Bloomberg
32 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut Reclaims Title in Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
By Updated on Save Famed competitive eater Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot-dog eating contest after after skipping last year's gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt. Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his record of 76 wieners and buns set on July 4, 2021. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition, which he missed in 2024 over a contract dispute.
CNN
35 minutes ago
- CNN
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday. The alleged assaults are reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, according to the police. Partey, 32, is charged with two counts of rape to one woman, three to a second and one count of sexual assault to a third. Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, told CNN that Partey 'denies all the charges against him' and 'welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.' 'Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward,' detective superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said in a Metropolitan Police statement. 'We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@ An investigation was started in February 2022 after the first report of rape was made, the police said, adding that Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5. 'The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape – after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence,' Jaswant Narwal, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said in a statement. 'Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers in the Metropolitan Police who have carried out the investigation, to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges. We remind everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. 'We know there will be significant public interest in this announcement, but it is absolutely vital that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' Partey's contract with Arsenal came to an end following the conclusion of the most recent season. CNN has contacted the club for comment. Partey joined Arsenal in October 2020 and was a consistent player under manager Mikel Arteta during his time with the North London club. A Ghanaian international, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, scoring nine goals.
