Our advocacy for the release of Mr. Sean Combs after already serving 2 years is rooted in a deep respect for the federal government's authority to protect the public. We recognize that in certain instances, crossing a state line fundamentally changes the magnitude of a crime. For example, the large-scale distribution of dangerous narcotics across state borders creates a widespread public health crisis that justifies the full weight of federal intervention to protect against dangerous activities infecting our communities.
However, we believe a healthy legal system must distinguish between large-scale public dangers and private personal choices between intelligent adults.
In the specific instance of Mr. Combs, the distance traveled did not change the nature of the act. The jury’s 'Not Guilty' verdicts on racketeering and sex trafficking confirm that this was not a predatory criminal enterprise. Therefore, the behavior remained a series of private, consensual encounters.
We believe it would be a failure of common-sense justice to impose and uphold a 50-month federal sentence based on a geographic technicality (the Mann Act) when the exact same behavior—conducted across a city street instead of across a state line—would be treated as a minor local matter or no crime at all. We believe Sean Combs has more than payed the price for behavior he has criticized and taken accountability for. He has shown great promise for the right changes and good behavior. For his life and for his family we respectfully petition that he be released as soon as the court would give him his freedom back. We are a community who believes in correction, but not overcorrection or imbalance in our judgements. We invite you to sign and share this petition in support. To stand with Sean, his growth and his chance to return to his family and the community, to do good.