Sean P. Diddy's attorneys could argue that the music mogul did not have the mental capacity to commit his alleged crimes due to drug and alcohol use.
Combs, 55, faces sex trafficking, racketeering and fraud charges. He has been in jail awaiting trial. The trial is scheduled to begin May 5.
A motion that was filed April 27 by the prosecution asks that the potential expert testimony of a psychiatrist on behalf of the defense be barred, PEOPLE reported.
"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," reads a passage of the motion cited by the outlet.
The concept of mens rea refers to the idea of criminal intent. According to Cornell University, "The prosecution typically must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the offense with a culpable state of mind...The mens rea requirement is premised upon the idea that one must possess a guilty state of mind and be aware of his or her misconduct; however, a defendant need not know that their conduct is illegal to be guilty of a crime."
PEOPLE reports that in the motion, the testimony of Dr. Elie Aoun is redacted. However, the outlet reported that the motion seems to indicate that the defense want to use drugs and alcohol use to call into question Combs' state of mind and mental capacity.
