It may come as a surprise to some that producer, rapper, and mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges against him on Wednesday. His federal trial concluded in a Manhattan court with a mixed verdict. Combs was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution—one each related to his former girlfriends Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” according to ABC News. However, he was acquitted of the far more serious charges of racketeering and two counts of sex trafficking by force. How did the impresario manage to beat the toughest charges? Simply put: Prosecutors presented a flimsy legal argument and relied too heavily on the media’s portrayal of Combs as a deviant monster to carry them to victory.

Combs is hardly out of the danger zone. His prostitution convictions each carry a maximum sentence of 10...