Cardell-Smith v. Sean John Combs
Derrick Lee Cardell-Smith v. Sean John Combs; Sean John Combs Enterprises; Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs; P. Diddy; Puffy Brother Love; Fellow Convicted Felon Sean John Combs
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-09743
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Cardell-Smith v. Combs, Judge Swain dismissed the action and denied permission to appeal without paying court fees.
The dismissal affected Derrick Lee Cardell-Smith's action against the defendants named in the caption. The denial of permission to proceed without prepaying fees affected any appeal from the judgment.
What happened
Derrick Lee Cardell-Smith sued Sean John Combs and the other defendants listed in the case caption. This judgment does not describe the claims or the reasons for the lawsuit.
The court dismissed the action for the reasons stated in its December 2, 2025, order. It also ruled that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without paying court fees for an appeal.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the judgment on December 4, 2025. The opinion provided here does not include the December 2 order, so the specific basis for dismissal is unclear.
The detailed version
- Cardell-Smith v. Sean John Combs · No. 1:25-cv-09743
- Laura Swain
- Dec. 4, 2025
Disposition
The court stated that, for the reasons given in its December 2, 2025, order, the action was dismissed. The December 2 order is not included in the provided opinion, so this judgment does not identify the claims, the court’s reasoning, or whether the dismissal addressed the merits.
The court also certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the judgment would not be taken in good faith. It therefore denied in forma pauperis status—permission to pursue an appeal without prepaying required fees—for purposes of an appeal.
Judge
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the civil judgment on December 4, 2025, in New York, New York.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.