Second Circuit Sets April 9 Oral Argument in Diddy Appeal After Fast-Track Approval

The Second Circuit granted an unusually rapid schedule that brings the case to argument this spring.

Overview

Oral arguments are scheduled for April 9, 2026, after U.S. Circuit Judge Beth Robinson approved expedited handling of the case.
The compressed briefing calendar lists the government’s opposition due February 20, Combs’s reply due March 13, and his opening brief filed December 23, 2025.
Combs was convicted in October 2025 on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act and was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
He is serving his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey with a Bureau of Prisons projected release date of May 8, 2028, subject to any appellate outcome.
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro calls the sentence “draconian” and argues prosecutors misapplied an older statute to consensual conduct, while the government plans to oppose the appeal.