Sean "Diddy" Combs may have a new legal home, but his eye remains on freedom.

The embattled music mogul's bid for an early release from prison gained some momentum after a judge signed off on expediting the appeal process on Monday, Nov. 3, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

In October, Combs, 56, was sentenced to 50 months, roughly four years, in prison after he was convicted on sex-trafficking charges.

Combs, who had been held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest, was reportedly transferred to FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey on Oct. 30. The Grammy-winning rapper is currently scheduled to be released from prison on May 8, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' online database.

In a ruling from Judge Beth Robinson in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Robinson granted Combs' legal team's request to fast-track the appeals process schedule to kick off in December.

The U.S. government, the opposing party in Combs' federal case, did not oppose the proposed schedule, per previous court documents. USA TODAY has reached out to Combs' representatives for comment.

The legal win comes after attorneys for Combs filed a notice of appeal in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Oct. 20.

Following a federal sex-trafficking investigation and a series of sexual abuse civil lawsuits, Combs was arrested on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The Bad Boy Records founder went to trial in May, during which prosecutors presented their case that Combs allegedly led a "criminal enterprise" that operated on sex trafficking, kidnapping, drug offenses and forced labor, among other crimes.

On July 2, a 12-person jury handed down a split verdict that acquitted Combs of the most serious charges, racketeering and sex trafficking. Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

The rapper has denied all charges brought against him.

Why does Diddy want to speed up appeal process?

For Combs and his legal team, the music mogul has been serving his debt to society.

In their request for an expedited appeal schedule, filed Oct. 29, Combs' attorneys noted that the rapper has already served approximately 14 months of his 50-month sentence due to the prison time he's accumulated since his September 2024 arrest.

Additionally, Combs may be eligible for reductions on his prison sentence under the Residential Drug Abuse Program and the First Step Act, both of which aim to reduce recidivism among prisoners through targeted rehabilitation programs.

"To ensure that Mr. Combs could meaningfully benefit from any appellate ruling vacating his sentence, we have proposed a schedule that would expedite this court's consideration of Mr. Combs' appeal," the filing stated.

Per the approved expedited schedule, Combs' opening brief and appendix for his appeal are due by Dec. 23, followed by the U.S. government’s brief deadline of Feb. 20, 2026. Combs' response to the government's brief will subsequently be due by March 13, 2026, and oral arguments can begin as early as April.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Brendan Morrow and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could Diddy be released from prison? Rapper scores legal win in sentence appeal process

Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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