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Diddy Got A Standing Ovation From His Fellow Inmates After His Victory

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00:00Sean Diddy Combs received a standing ovation from fellow inmates after returning to jail
00:05following a dramatic courtroom victory.
00:08Sean Diddy Combs' fellow inmates are celebrating his acquittals.
00:12The music mogul received a standing ovation from
00:15fellow inmates when he returned to a federal jail in Brooklyn.
00:19Diddy had just been acquitted of the most serious charges against him,
00:22and the response from those behind bars was both emotional and historic.
00:26They all said,
00:28"...we never get to see anyone who beats the government," said Diddy's attorney, Mark Agnofilo.
00:33Sean Diddy Combs walks back into jail, and the inmates, they rise to their feet in a standing
00:39ovation.
00:39For many incarcerated men, especially Black inmates, seeing someone like Diddy succeed in
00:44the face of a daunting federal prosecution was a rare moment of inspiration.
00:49Diddy remains in custody due to convictions on lesser charges,
00:53but the acquittals lifted a significant weight.
00:55Sean Diddy Combs acquitted of trafficking, but found guilty on lesser charges.
01:01Maybe it's your fate in life to be the guy who wins, Agnofilo recalled telling him early on.
01:07That sense of purpose stayed with Diddy throughout the intense, high-stakes trial.
01:12The defense team, a powerhouse group of eight attorneys,
01:15focused on dismantling the prosecution's narrative piece by piece.
01:19Their strategy was direct.
01:21Acknowledge Diddy's complicated personal life, including drug use, jealousy, and tumultuous
01:26relationships, but draw a firm line between that and the charges he faced.
01:32As lawyer Tenny Garagos told jurors,
01:34You may think to yourself, wow, he's a really bad boyfriend, but that is simply not what he was
01:40being accused of.
01:42Agnofilo said it was essential to be honest about Diddy's flaws.
01:46The violence was so clear and upfront, and we knew the government was going to try to confuse
01:51the jury, he explained.
01:53So we had to tell the jury what it was so they wouldn't think it was something it wasn't.
01:57When jurors in the Diddy trial initially reported being stuck on one of the more serious counts,
02:03the defense team was nervous.
02:05But Agnofilo sensed they had avoided the most damaging verdicts.
02:09He sent a pre-dawn text to Garagos predicting the outcome and urging her to prepare a bail application.
02:15I thought if they convicted him on one of the lesser charges, but not the main ones,
02:20we had a real shot, he said.
02:22That prediction proved accurate.
02:23When court resumed, Diddy entered smiling and prayed with his family.
02:28Within an hour, the jury returned a verdict that mirrored Agnofilo's instincts.
02:33Diddy mouthed thank you to jurors and smiled as his supporters applauded.
02:38The defense team, overwhelmed by the outcome, was met with cheers of dream team as they exited.
02:44Mitchell Eppner, a former federal prosecutor who once worked with Agnofilo,
02:48called it a major loss for the prosecution and praised the defense's strategy.
02:52The fact that Diddy's team won without putting any witnesses on the stand only added to the accomplishment.
03:00That's masterful, said former federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff.
03:05They had a narrative from the beginning, and they stuck to it.
03:08The Diddy case hinged on complicated personal dynamics and a high-profile lifestyle.
03:13At trial, even former personal assistants, some of whom had seen video evidence of Diddy's violent moments,
03:20spoke positively about his character under cross-examination.
03:24The defense argued that prosecutors had built their case on personal details and relationships,
03:29not a coordinated criminal enterprise.
03:32Agnofilo, who once used racketeering laws as a federal prosecutor,
03:35said the case lacked the core foundation for such a charge.
03:38They didn't have a conspiracy, he said.
03:41They basically had Combs' personal life and tried to build racketeering around personal assistants.
03:47Despite the victory, Diddy's challenges aren't over.
03:50He still faces sentencing on remaining charges and is working on himself in meaningful ways,
03:56his lawyer said.
03:57He genuinely wants to improve, Agnofilo noted.
04:01He realizes he has flaws like everyone else that he never worked on.
04:04According to him, Diddy runs hot in all areas of life.
04:08Personally, professionally, emotionally.
04:11But no amount of fame or fortune can cover that up, he added.
04:15He's beginning to see that now.
04:17The day of the verdict didn't end without one last dramatic moment.
04:21After court, as Agnofilo waited for the elevator,
04:24a man nearby collapsed into violent seizures.
04:27Drawing on his knowledge of first aid, the attorney leapt into action,
04:31flipping the man onto his side while his daughter checked his pulse
04:34and his law partner cushioned the man's head.
04:37Emergency responders arrived shortly after, and the man regained consciousness.
04:42It was like I was getting punked by God, Agnofilo said,
04:45of the surreal end to a highly emotional day.
04:49From courtroom triumph to a medical emergency,
04:51the defense lawyer saw it all in just a few hours.
04:54As for Diddy, he remains behind bars, for now,
04:57but carries with him a rare courtroom win
05:00that gave hope to many others around him.
05:02The applause from his fellow inmates may have been the most meaningful moment of all.

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