Possible Reversal of Mann Act Conviction Regarding Cassie
I have deleted my reply about the Mann Act Statute of Limitations because my post was based on another part of the Act that deals with minors. I didn't want to do a surreptitious deletion without explanation.
At any rate, if the SoL is 5 years, then I would've expected the defense to have challenged it much earlier in the case. He was indicted in September 2024. With respect to the Mann Act count regarding Cassie, the indictment says the events occurred: "From at least in or about 2009 up to and including in or about 2018..." (Count 3). With this formulation, if there was no tolling of the SoL, if the SoL is 5 years, why didn't the defense move for the dismissal of the Count 3 much earlier. Shouldn't have even been presented to the jury.
I am not sure about the 5-year SoL, and/or whether it was tolled at some point.
Beyond the SoL issue, defense can win a reversal of the Mann Act conviction relating to Cassie. Even though indictment mentioned transportation of Cassie and the sex workers, the verdict slip showed that Diddy was only convicted with respect to transporting Cassie.
While there is evidence of Diddy transporting the escorts to do FOs, and while the escorts may have engaged in prostitution, I don't think there is evidence that Cassie was transported for purpose of prostitution.
Additionally, I didn't see evidence that Cassie engaged in prostitution. Note that patronizing a prostitute is very different from prostitution. Those are 2 different crimes. Cassie may have patronized the escorts who were acting as prostitutes, but she did not engage in prostitution.
Prostitution entails person "A" performing or offering to perform a sexual act with person "B" in exchange for person "A" receiving money or its equivalent. By my recollection, there was no evidence that Cassie received money or its equivalent in exchange for doing any specific FO.
The completion of the act of prostitution is not necessary for conviction under the Mann Act. But the definition and explanation of prostitution posited above help to show that Diddy did not have the requisite intent.
Was there evidence that Diddy transported Cassie across state lines with the intent for Cassie to have sex with an escort in exchange for money (or its equivalent) to be paid to Cassie and/or Diddy? I don't think such evidence was presented, even circumstantially. Also, Diddy's enjoyment of Cassie's sex with the escorts is not money or its equivalent. Thus, there was no evidence to sustain the Mann Act conviction relating to Cassie.
By the way, I fault the defense lawyers for not suggesting a better definition of prostitution, and differentiation of patronizing a prostitute in the jury instructions. The jury could've mistakenly believed that transporting the escorts and payments to the escorts went towards proving the Mann Act count relating to Cassie. Transportation and payment of the escorts are irrelevant to transportation and/or payments to Cassie (or lack thereof).