Possible Diddy Defense: 'Diminished Capacity'

The sex-crimes trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs remains on track to begin May 5, and a new court filing suggests that defense lawyers may test an unexpected strategy. His defense team wants to have a psychiatrist testify that the 55-year-old lacked the "mental capacity" to commit the crimes, reports People. Much of the court filing upon which the report is based has been redacted, but it appears that Dr. Elie Aoun would testify that Combs' judgment was affected by drugs and alcohol, according to TMZ.

However, prosecutors are pushing to block the testimony, arguing that the defense submitted the witness too late and that Combs doesn't meet the criteria spelled out in federal law for such an exception, reports USA Today. "The noticed testimony relates to the defendant's diminished capacity to form the mens rea required to commit the charged offenses—in other words, a 'mental condition bearing on the issue of guilt,'" prosecutors wrote in their filing, which was obtained by People. The outlet notes that "mens rea" translates to "guilty mind" and refers to a defendant's mental state.