Sean “Diddy” Combs received a standing ovation from his cellmates when he returned to prison after being acquitted of charges that could have led to a life sentence. His lawyer said it was perhaps the most important thing anyone has done for black inmates in America.

“Everybody told him, ‘We never see anyone beat the government,’” attorney Mark Agnifilo said in an interview over the weekend after the court victory. The jury acquitted Combs of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.

However, the 55-year-old music producer remains in custody after being found guilty on prostitution charges on Wednesday and could face several years in prison, despite having already served 10 months.

After federal agents raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024, Agnifilo told his client to prepare for a sex trafficking charge.

“I told him, ‘Maybe you’re destined to be the guy who wins. They need to see that someone can make it.’ I think he took that to heart,” the lawyer said, quoted by the New York Post. The interview was even briefly interrupted by a call from prison — from Diddy himself.

The acquittal was the result of a well-organized defense by an eight-member team of lawyers led by Agnifilo, who pursued a strategy that clearly resonated with the jury.

Combs personally submitted notes during the cross-examination of a number of witnesses during the two-month trial, including his former employees.

The lawyers did not deny that their client was jealous, prone to violence and drug use, as well as a participant in sexual practices with multiple partners. But, they emphasized, this does not make him a human trafficker. | BGNES