WEBVTT - What happens to Diddy now?

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<v Speaker 1>Before we jump into today's deep dive, just a heads

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<v Speaker 1>up that we'll be discussing a story that includes themes

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<v Speaker 1>of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Please listen with care

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<v Speaker 1>already and this this is the Daily Off.

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<v Speaker 2>This is the Daily OS. Oh, now it makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning, and welcome to the Daily OS. It is Wednesday,

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<v Speaker 2>the eighth of October. I'm Billy fit Simon's.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Sam Kazlowski.

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<v Speaker 2>Last Friday, rapper Sean Diddy Combes was sentenced to just

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<v Speaker 2>over four years in prison following his conviction on prostitution

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<v Speaker 2>related charges earlier this year. The fifty five year old

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<v Speaker 2>music mogul has spent more than a year in New

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<v Speaker 2>York jail after he was arrested in September last year.

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<v Speaker 2>So what happens now to Cones? We know he will

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<v Speaker 2>now be in jail, But what about all the other

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<v Speaker 2>allegations that were leveled against him? What happens to those?

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<v Speaker 2>We will tell you what you need to know on

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<v Speaker 2>today's podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Billy. Let's start with the main character in this story,

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<v Speaker 1>Sean Combs. We've spoken about him throughout this case. Give

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<v Speaker 1>us a sense of who he is.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So Cones is a very famous rapper and producer.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure many of our audience will be very familiar

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<v Speaker 2>with him, but what you might not know is that

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<v Speaker 2>he also built an actual music media empire. So he

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<v Speaker 2>founded the music label bad Boy Records in nineteen ninety three,

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<v Speaker 2>which has represented some of the world's most famous rappers,

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<v Speaker 2>including Notorious Big and he is a three time Grammy

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<v Speaker 2>Award winner who has worked with the likes of Mariah Carey,

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<v Speaker 2>He's worked with Usher, He's worked with Faith Evans, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think all of that is to kind of set

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<v Speaker 2>the scene and give you the context that he is

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<v Speaker 2>a very powerful person in the music industry in the US.

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<v Speaker 2>I also should say that he also went by the

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<v Speaker 2>names of Puff Diddy or just Diddy as well, so

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<v Speaker 2>some people might be more familiar with him via those names.

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<v Speaker 1>A really powerful, influential and wealthy figure, kind of a

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<v Speaker 1>defining figure in music in the early two thousands, and

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<v Speaker 1>all of that came crashing down when these allegations against

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<v Speaker 1>him came out, right.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, exactly. It was kind of like a third wave

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<v Speaker 2>of the me Too movement for the music industry. So

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<v Speaker 2>the first allegations to be leveled against coms were in

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty three. That was by his former partner, Cassandra Ventura,

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<v Speaker 2>who is an R and B singer who also goes

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<v Speaker 2>by the name of Cassie or who professionally goes by

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<v Speaker 2>the name of Cassie, and she accused him of sexual

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<v Speaker 2>assault some I don't know if you remember the footage

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<v Speaker 2>that came out of Comes kicking and dragging Cassie in

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<v Speaker 2>a hotel hallway in twenty sixteen, extremely distressing footage. It

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<v Speaker 2>was CCTV footage of the hotel. And despite the fact

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<v Speaker 2>that Comes responded to that footage by calling inexcusable behavior,

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<v Speaker 2>he did deny the allegations leveled against him by Cassie.

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<v Speaker 2>There was a civil lawsuit that was filed against him

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<v Speaker 2>by Cassie, but the day after that happened, it was

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<v Speaker 2>settled out of court. So that civil lawsuit is not

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<v Speaker 2>what we're talking about today, although Cassie was involved in

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<v Speaker 2>the one that we are talking about today. But what

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<v Speaker 2>I think you need to know about that context is

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<v Speaker 2>that was the first civil lawsuit and then it kind

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<v Speaker 2>of really snowballed from there, and after that there was

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<v Speaker 2>several people who filed different civil lawsuits against Diddy, claiming

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<v Speaker 2>sexual abuse.

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<v Speaker 1>So there's a really important difference between the civil and

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<v Speaker 1>the criminal processes in the US. We're talking first about

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<v Speaker 1>these civil cases. Those were the ones that started piling up.

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<v Speaker 1>It's different though, when it comes to him being criminally charged.

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<v Speaker 1>Which one of these incidents actually led to the arrest

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<v Speaker 1>and his entry into the criminal justice system.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, so it was none of those civil ones. It

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<v Speaker 2>was the criminal one, and this was one that was

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<v Speaker 2>brought forward by the federal US prosecutors who charged him

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<v Speaker 2>with sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction

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<v Speaker 2>of justice. Now, we have previously on this podcast covered

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<v Speaker 2>those allegations in this federal criminal case quite extensively, and

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<v Speaker 2>we also covered the trial, so I'll put a link

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<v Speaker 2>to that in the show notes. But for the purposes

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<v Speaker 2>of today's conversation, what you need to know is that

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<v Speaker 2>a jury acquitted Cones, which means that they found him

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<v Speaker 2>not guilty of the most serious charges of sex trafficking

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<v Speaker 2>and racketeering, which carried potential life sentences.

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<v Speaker 1>So he was found not guilty of those, but he

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<v Speaker 1>was still convicted on other charges.

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<v Speaker 2>He was so he was convicted on two prostitution related charges. Specifically,

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<v Speaker 2>he was found guilty of two counts of transportation to

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<v Speaker 2>engage in institution. So the jury heard that Combs flew

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<v Speaker 2>his girlfriends and some male sex workers around the US

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<v Speaker 2>to engage in drug fueled sexual encounters. Now, those charges

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<v Speaker 2>both carry maximum sentences of ten years each, so if

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<v Speaker 2>he was to get the maximum sentences for those, that

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<v Speaker 2>would mean twenty years in prison. But as we found

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<v Speaker 2>out in the last few days, which is why we

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<v Speaker 2>are talking about it today, he did not get that.

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<v Speaker 1>So what did he get? I mean, the sentence has

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<v Speaker 1>been handed down. How long is he facing in prison?

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<v Speaker 2>He is facing fifty months in prison?

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<v Speaker 1>Fifteen months, So we're talking then for four years and

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<v Speaker 1>two months.

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<v Speaker 2>Just great mass, just over four years. And that was

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<v Speaker 2>longer than as you can imagine, what his lawyers argued for,

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<v Speaker 2>So they said that he should receive no more than

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<v Speaker 2>fourteen months. The government, on the other hand, again reminded

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<v Speaker 2>that it was federal authorities who brought forward this case.

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<v Speaker 2>They argued that he should get eleven years. Judge decided

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<v Speaker 2>on four, like we said, and he said in his

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<v Speaker 2>judgment that the four years was necessary to and this

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<v Speaker 2>is a direct quote to send a message to abuses

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<v Speaker 2>and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is

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<v Speaker 2>met with real accountability. He was also fined five hundred

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<v Speaker 2>thousand US dollars, which was the maximum fine possible for

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<v Speaker 2>these charges.

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<v Speaker 1>So four and a bit years a five hundred thousand

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<v Speaker 1>dollars US fine. That puts it about seven hundred, seven

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and fifty thousand Australian But that also includes the

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<v Speaker 1>time he's already spent in jail, right.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, So what it means is that he will now

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<v Speaker 2>be in jail until twenty twenty eight, because, like you said,

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<v Speaker 2>he has already spent that one year in jail and

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<v Speaker 2>he was denied bail. That's why sometimes you might not

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<v Speaker 2>be in jail yet. Sure, he was denied bail. One

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<v Speaker 2>thing to note, though, is that his lawyers have said

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<v Speaker 2>that he will appeal the judgment.

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<v Speaker 1>Right.

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<v Speaker 2>One thing I know about the law system, the legal system,

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<v Speaker 2>is that appeals can take a long time. So I

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<v Speaker 2>think it's fair to say that he will be in

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<v Speaker 2>jail for the foreseeable future.

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<v Speaker 1>So he'll stay in jail while those appeals play out.

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<v Speaker 1>But you're right, those appeals can take months, if not years,

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<v Speaker 1>So what about the other cases against him. There are

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<v Speaker 1>some cases. Then if we jump over to the civil system, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>there are some lawsuits he's facing that haven't been settled yet.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, well there are many. There are actually more than fifty,

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<v Speaker 2>which is crazy. That's a large number of civil lawsuits

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<v Speaker 2>that he is still facing.

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<v Speaker 1>And so he still faces them, right even though he's

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<v Speaker 1>in jail on that one criminal case.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I think that we should explain the difference between

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<v Speaker 2>civil and criminal because they've kind of said it here

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<v Speaker 2>and there, but I think we need a proper explainer.

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<v Speaker 2>You are our in house lawyer thanks to your four

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<v Speaker 2>year law degree, by the way, I think that you

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<v Speaker 2>are best places to explain the difference between those two.

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<v Speaker 1>So the way to think about it then in this

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<v Speaker 1>context of Diddy would be that federal prosecutors who represent

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<v Speaker 1>the interests of the American people. That's why if you

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<v Speaker 1>think about like the OJ Simpson case, it was the

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<v Speaker 1>people versus OJ Simpson, this would be the people versus Sean.

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<v Speaker 2>Combs, the people meaning the government.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, yes, the government who then represent the public. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>you and I if we were Americans, And so they

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<v Speaker 1>have the jail system at their disposal and the police

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<v Speaker 1>to use and handcuffs and arrests. That's different to the

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<v Speaker 1>civil system, which is individuals bringing actions against other individuals,

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<v Speaker 1>and you can't go to jail for that, so there

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<v Speaker 1>can still be a remedy, and remedies are normally things

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<v Speaker 1>like money, but they could also be a public apology.

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<v Speaker 1>It could be, you know, an avo that lasts a

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<v Speaker 1>certain amount of time, or some sort of restriction on

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<v Speaker 1>movement sometimes, but mostly it's money. And there's different burdens

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<v Speaker 1>of proof. I don't want to go too legal system

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<v Speaker 1>on you, but in the criminal system, it has to

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<v Speaker 1>be beyond a reasonable doubt. So the people or the

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<v Speaker 1>government or the federal prosecutors had to prove that Shawn

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<v Speaker 1>Combs did traffic sex workers beyond the reasonable doubt if

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<v Speaker 1>he was sued. In the civil system, it has to

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<v Speaker 1>be on the balance of probabilities, So a fifty one

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<v Speaker 1>percent chance that that happened. So very different systems, but

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately what it leads to is you'd imagine with fifty

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<v Speaker 1>civil cases, it's likely that somebody, even with the money

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<v Speaker 1>of Shawn Combs would probably file for bankruptcy at a

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<v Speaker 1>certain stage.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and so like I said, he is still facing

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<v Speaker 2>more than fifty civil lawsuits which are all accusing him

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<v Speaker 2>of sexual abuse pretty much.

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<v Speaker 1>So these would be individuals who are saying Shawn Combs

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<v Speaker 1>owes me x number of dollars for the loss of

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<v Speaker 1>income or the mental distress or the other sort of

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<v Speaker 1>impact from his behavior exactly.

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<v Speaker 2>And most of these charges are based in New York,

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<v Speaker 2>as the criminal one was also, and according to the

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<v Speaker 2>New York Times, the allegations date as far back as

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<v Speaker 2>to the nineteen nineties, and the alleged victims are both

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<v Speaker 2>men and women. To give you an idea of the

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<v Speaker 2>kind of allegations we're talking about in these civil lawsuits,

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<v Speaker 2>they involve alleged gang rapes, and there are also a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of allegations of drugging people before then allegedly raping them. Horrific, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think the number of allegations is what just

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<v Speaker 2>adds to how horrific it is. There are also at

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<v Speaker 2>least a dozen of the plaintiffs who say that they

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<v Speaker 2>were miners at the time of the alleged assaults, and

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<v Speaker 2>many of the lawsuits were also filed anonymously.

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<v Speaker 1>And so give me a sense of the strategy of

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<v Speaker 1>Kames as legal team. Here so they're fighting these civil

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<v Speaker 1>charges at the same time as moving through the criminal case.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, yes, So whilst this very public criminal case has

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<v Speaker 2>been ongoing, they have also been fighting these civil lawsuits

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<v Speaker 2>I guess behind the scenes, or they just haven't been

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<v Speaker 2>getting as much media attention as the criminal one. Sure,

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<v Speaker 2>and in July this year, one of his lawyers said

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<v Speaker 2>to the New York Times this is a quote again,

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<v Speaker 2>mister Holmes will not back down. We will fight each

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<v Speaker 2>and every civil case for as long as necessary to

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<v Speaker 2>win his full vindication. So again they have denied all

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<v Speaker 2>of the allegations against him.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd say that whilst there's now a resolution in the

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<v Speaker 1>criminal case here, the sheer number of cases that still

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<v Speaker 1>are floating through the civil system means that this story

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<v Speaker 1>won't get out of the headlines for a while now.

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<v Speaker 1>We did talk about some really difficult things on today's podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>So I just want to remind everybody that you can

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<v Speaker 1>reach out to one eight hundred respects anytime on one

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<v Speaker 1>eight hundred seven three seven seven three to two. Billy.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for taking us through that. Thank you, and

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be back this afternoon with the headlines.

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<v Speaker 1>Please take care. I'll give you that number one more time.

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<v Speaker 1>It's one eight hundred seven three seven seven three to two.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll chat to you in the afternoon. Until then, have

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<v Speaker 1>a great day.

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<v Speaker 2>My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda

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<v Speaker 2>Bunjelung Calcottin woman from Gadigol Country. The Daily oz acknowledges

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<v Speaker 2>that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the

0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:09.560
<v Speaker 2>Gadigol people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torrestrate

0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:12.559
<v Speaker 2>island and nations. We pay our respects to the first

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<v Speaker 2>peoples of these countries, both past and present.