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Members of Sean “Diddy” Combs are arriving at the courthouse as we wait for the music mogul’s bail hearing to get underway.

Combs’ daughters were seen exiting a van outside the courthouse. His sons were also seen at the courthouse.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ bail hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, according to the district executive’s office.

Combs’ lawyers have asked that the music mogul be released as he awaits sentencing, and prosecutors have opposed that request.

Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution this morning, but the jury acquitted him of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

While the judge required decorum inside the courtroom following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ verdict reading, the scene outside looks a little different, according to CNN’s chief legal analyst and anchor Laura Coates.

“Spectacle, circus, show — all words that come to mind,” Coates said as she described the crowds outside the courtroom.

Coates — who is outside the courthouse now in New York, as we wait for Combs’ bail hearing to begin — told CNN’s Kasie Hunt that some people are outside “with true celebratory spirit,” while “others are expressing their discontent.”

“There are shouting matches at times,” she said, adding that “this is a scene.”

The New York Police Department is present and “prepared right now for possible reaction to whatever may happen,” Coates said.

Combs’ bail hearing is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty this morning of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — the counts that carry the least severe penalty. The jury’s acquittal of Combs on the more serious charges, according to former Assistant District Attorney Julie Grant, could come down to the fact that the jury did not find enough evidence to convict Combs of those crimes.

“For whatever reasons, the men and women on the jury did not find there was enough evidence to prove these crimes in that federal court of law,” Grant told CNN.

That being said, Grant added, “it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

Combs was acquitted of two counts of sex trafficking — pertaining to Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” respectively — and one count of racketeering conspiracy, both charges of which hold a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Grant said that looking at the “letter of the law,” it’s her legal opinion that the government “has legally proven all of the allegations” brought Combs. But she also recognized that “every juror comes into that courtroom with their own experiences.”

The jurors, she said, “may not see the enterprise — they may not see the sex trafficking for what it literally is by law.”

The defense’s strategy of not calling any witnesses when they presented their case was “somewhat of a stunning legal strategy,” Grant said, adding that this move signaled “confidence” from Combs’ side.

“When I was in the courtroom on Friday watching the closing arguments, I saw even more confidence from Diddy’s attorney, from Diddy himself,” she said. “And it seemed to me, looking at the faces of some of those jurors, they seemed to be in agreement with what the defense was arguing.”

Courtroom sketches show the moment when Sean “Diddy” Combs found out that he was acquitted of the most serious charges against him.

See how the scene unfolded:

Cassie Ventura’s lawyer Doug Wigdor just submitted a letter to judge Arun Subramanian deny the defense’s request that Sean “Diddy” Combs be released from custody while he awaits his sentencing.

“Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,” Wigdor wrote in the letter.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ bail hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, according to the district executive’s office.

Combs’ lawyers have asked that the music mogul be released as he awaits sentencing. Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution this morning, but the jury acquitted him of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

Prosecutors are opposed to Combs’ potential release.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team has submitted to the judge its letter asking that Combs be released while awaiting sentencing, and proposing circumstances under which Combs would be released.

The letter proposes:

• A $1 million bond, co-signed by Combs, his mother, sister and the mother of his oldest daughter;
• Combs’ travel be restricted to parts of Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. (Combs has homes in Florida and California, and the latter two states would cover visits with attorneys and attendance in court);
• The surrender of Combs’ passport;
• Drug testing by pretrial services;
• “All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision.”

The letter argues that, since Combs faces a lighter sentence than he would have if he had been convicted of the more serious counts, he should be released with conditions.

The charges he was convicted of — two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — involves two separate victims, but even still his team argues that under the US sentencing guidelines, which are advisory, “This results in an expected guidelines range of 21 to 27 months.”

“Mr. Combs has already been incarcerated for 10 months. His sentencing exposure — which we fully respect and do not seek to minimize in any way — is in fact low, and so is any corresponding risk of flight,” the letter reads.

Prosecutors’ letter detailing why they oppose the release of Sean “Diddy” Combs while he awaits sentencing includes a note from Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and a friend of Cassie Ventura who testified during Combs’ trial.

In his letter, Nash addressed the judge and expressed “grave concern” about Combs’ potential release.

“While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,” Nash wrote.

He continued: “Mr. Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior. Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity. If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.”

During his testimony, Nash testified that on multiple occasions, he saw Combs assault Ventura and heard him threaten to withhold her music or release sex tapes of her.

While the jury acquitted Sean “Diddy” Combs of the most serious charges, it found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

A closer look at his conviction: The two transportation charges accused Combs of transporting his then-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” as well as male escorts, across state lines for the purposes of prostitution. One charge related to Ventura, whom Combs dated from around 2007 to 2018. The other involved “Jane,” who testified under a pseudonym and dated Combs from 2021 to 2024.

Jane testified about accompanying Combs to what she called “hotel nights,” where she engaged in sexual encounters with a male “entertainer,” often in a hotel room with Combs present. Ventura testified about participating in similar encounters, which Combs referred to as “Freak Offs.”

Jane testified she and Combs had “hotel nights” between May 2021 and October 2023 in a variety of locales, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Turks and Caicos. Similarly, Ventura said “Freak Offs” took place in some of those locations as well as other cities, such as Atlanta and Las Vegas.

Ventura testified some escorts participated in “Freak Offs” in multiple states. They were paid between $1,500 and $6,000 afterwards in cash provided by Combs, she said. Her testimony was bolstered by various records presented in court, including flight records, American Express charges and hotel invoices.

The jury also watched video footage of Ventura and Jane engaging in sexual acts with male escorts. The videos line up with the dates of many flight records and hotel invoices, the prosecution said. The defense argued there wasn’t sufficient evidence that the escorts and entertainers were paid for prostitution as opposed to for their time.

What a legal analyst said: Last week, trial attorney and legal analyst Misty Marris said this about the two transportation charges: “That has been proved by leaps and bounds by prosecutors.”

“It’s truly very simple: Did individuals cross state lines with the intent to engage in prostitution?” Marris said about the transportation counts.

Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to soon decide if Sean “Diddy” Combs will be released from custody as he awaits his sentencing on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs’ defense team argued this morning that Combs should be released in light of the fact that he was acquitted of the most serious charges — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. They said Combs would go back to his house in Miami and abide by conditions set by the court.

Prosecutors said they oppose Combs’ possible release.

The judge asked both sides to submit letters on the issue by 1 p.m. ET and said he’d make a decision on the matter after that.

The case of Sean “Diddy” Combs was very complex and it’s possible that the jury got hung up on certain criteria in determining racketeering and conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, Elliot Williams, former deputy assistant attorney general said.

On racketeering conspiracy, it might’ve been hard for the jury to determine concretely if an enterprise existed, Willams explained.

Williams said that placing the charges under the “big umbrella” of racketeering conspiracy might’ve been a stretch for the jury, who were weighing “whether they were sexual assault or isolated acts of prostitution.”

He continued, “Much of the commentary has been, it would have been quite challenging to establish that racketeering conspiracy. On the sex trafficking, the biggest problem, and this comes up in sexual assault and harassment cases all the time, is this question of the consent of the survivor of the victim. And those text messages that came up in court were not very good for the prosecution,” he said.

“These were complex, fraught, ugly, violent relationships, but also ones in which, yes, they were consensual relationships. And I think the jury got hung up on that,” Williams said.

It’s possible that Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has been held in federal custody since he was arrested in September, could walk free today, according to Elie Honig, senior CNN legal analyst.

Combs’ defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the judge that following this morning’s verdict —where Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — he “should be released on appropriate conditions” in light of the fact that Combs has been acquitted on racketeering and sex trafficking.

”Do not be surprised if at some point this afternoon we see Sean Combs walking out those doors right there,” Honig said. “If this was just some run of the mill, unknown New Yorker who had only been convicted of what we call the Mann Act, of non-forcible interstate prostitution, he would walk today. Because Sean Combs has been behind bars for nearly a year.”

The likely sentence that the judge may calculate, Honig said, “is probably going to be something in the realm of time served.”

Honig added that with the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy are “off the table,” it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Combs “walks out of that courthouse in a few hours.”

The judge is expected to make a decision on bail today.

Some people gathered outside the courthouse after Sean “Diddy” Combs’ verdict were seen spraying baby oil into the crowd.

Remnants from the oil could be seen on the courthouse pavement.

Combs’ alleged use of baby oil during the “Freak Offs” — or drug-fueled sexual performances — was brought up frequently during his trial. Several of Combs’ assistants testified that they stocked hotel rooms with baby oil before the “Freak Offs,” and hotel records entered into evidence detailed the damages to rooms following Combs’ stays and mentioned baby oil stains in the carpet.

At one point, a defense attorney asked Cassie Ventura to confirm the baby oil they used during “Freak Offs” was never laced with any drugs.

Large amounts of baby oil were recovered during searches of Combs’ residences in Miami and Los Angeles in March 2024, according to an indictment at that time. Law enforcement seized “various Freak Off supplies,” including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, at his homes, according to the indictment.

CNN’s Jeff Winter contributed reporting to this post.

Cassie Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, is responding to comments made by Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, who characterized Ventura as the “winner” in this case after she secured a multi-million dollar settlement following her 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs.

Wigdor disagreed, telling CNN this morning, “Obviously, Cassie Ventura, at that point in time and today, is not the winner.”

“She endured 10 years of abuse where she had to engage in days long sexual acts with UTIs, she alleged that she was she was raped,” Wigdor said. “And so to call her a winner, even though she did get $30 million part from, as she testified, part from Sean Combs, part from the hotel, no amount of money is going to ever undo what she had to endure and what she had to go through.”

Wigdor added, “Both she and I didn’t really take well to that as her being ‘a winner.’”

Ventura, who was eight months pregnant when she testified and is now a mother of three, has focused on her family since giving her testimony early in the trial.

“She is really trying to look forward,” he said.

Remember: Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of the most serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, one count of which directly pertained to Ventura.

Cassie Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor told CNN following the verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial that “there was a lot of mixed emotions in that courtroom” this morning as the verdict was read.

“Obviously, we would’ve liked to have seen convictions on the RICO charges and the sex-trafficking charges, but Cassie prompted this investigation by the Southern District and now Sean Combs stands before this court as a convicted felon of two crimes,” he added.

Widgor added that while this is “not the exact outcome that we wanted,” he and Ventura are grateful to the jury for finding Combs guilty the two counts.

Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of the most serious charges of sex trafficking — one count of which directly pertained to Ventura — and racketeering conspiracy.

Wigdor touched on how the defense presented their case, saying that he thought their arguments were “repugnant.”

“Calling those sorts of behaviors as a modern-day relationship, you know, saying that she enjoyed sex, you know, saying she was a gangster, things like that — I don’t think that even with the jury verdict that they would have given that any credit,” he said, adding he also doesn’t believe “anyone who actually listened to the testimony and watched the testimony would either.”

“I thought that those were sort of gratuitous comments that really weren’t based on any real facts,” Widgor said.

Ventura, however, is “comforted in knowing that not only has she played a role in the criminal prosecution but that she shined a light on this behavior by Sean Combs.”

Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, outlining many of the allegations that she testified to during the criminal federal trial.

Filing that civil suit, Wigdor said, has “given her some agency in life, where for 10 years, (Combs) told her what had to be done and she had no choice.”

“This was her ability to say, ‘No, I’m not going to accept this eight-figure settlement. I’m going to file this lawsuit.’ And that’s what she did,” Wigdor said. Ventura, he added, “is really gratified in knowing that other people have come out since the filing of the civil lawsuit.”

Jay Clayton, the US attorney for New York’s southern district whose office prosecuted Sean “Diddy” Combs for this trial, and Ricky Patel, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ New York field office, released this statement after the verdict:

“Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.

“Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.

“Today we recognize the important work of the SDNY’s Civil Rights Unit as well as the tireless efforts of the women and men at HSI who are devoted to combatting human trafficking. We thank the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, Digital Forensic Unit and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement (CASE) Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. We would also like to thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this matter and for sharing our victim-centered approach to combatting sex crimes.”

The New York Police Department’s presence outside the courthouse has increased in the past hour following the verdict in the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial, according to a CNN reporter at the scene.

Combs was found guilty by a federal jury on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution but was acquitted of the most serious charges in a case that featured salacious allegations that he coerced women into sexual encounters with other men called sometimes referred to as “Freak Offs.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs has “won” this case and defeated the Southern District of New York, said Elie Honig, senior CNN legal analyst and former assistant US attorney for the SDNY.

“He has defeated the Southern District of New York, which, I worked there — they don’t like losing in court. They don’t lose in court a lot. And there’s no way to spin this. This is a devastating setback for the SDNY,” Honig said.

Combs “was looking at the possibility of a 15 year mandatory minimum, potentially up to life based on what — based on the more serious charges where the jury found not guilty. Now he’s looking at a much, much lower sentence. And to that point there is a realistic chance that (the) judge lets Sean Combs walk out today or maybe tomorrow, if it takes some time to post bail,” Honig added.

Doug Wigdor, a lawyer for Cassie Ventura, is sitting down with CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister now.

Earlier today, following the verdict in the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial, Wigdor released a statement describing how Ventura “paved the way” for Combs to be convicted on some of the counts against him.

“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” he said in the statement.