On Wednesday, the New York judge overseeing Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial ruled that Combs would not be released on bail while awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The decision to keep the fallen hip-hop mogul locked up in a Brooklyn federal prison comes after a surprise split verdict announced Wednesday that saw the rapper and mogul convicted of the lesser two of five charges in a federal indictment that brought one of the most sensational trials in years to a lower Manhattan courthouse.
After the verdict was read on Wednesday, Combs’ lead defense attorney told the court Combs should be freed today, given that her was no longer under indictment for the major crimes the government said he committed. Prosecutors cried foul on this, arguing he was a flight risk and meddler, even while in the Brooklyn lockup he’s called home for about a year. Both sides were instructed to write letters to the judge making their case for bail of incarceration by 1 p.m. today. Prosecutors also stated that they would pursue an aggressive sentencing that could put Combs away for two decades.
Judge Subramanian cited Combs’ history of violence as a main reason for denying him bail. As prosecutors undoubtedly showed during his trial, he has a decades-long propensity for violence, particularly toward women and taking place in private. The video footage of him beating Cassie Ventura, which was shown at least a dozen times in court, certainly displays this and Combs subjected his girlfriend “Jane” to a violent attack as recently as 2024, the court heard over the past few weeks. When this occurred, Combs had already been indicted and had his homes raided by authorities.
All sides in the case were told by the judge to return to court on Oct. 3 for sentencing; that date could move up if the defense team and Combs seek to expedite his sentencing process. The defense is seeking a term of 21 to 27 months for Combs while the feds hope for 51 to 63 months.
Combs will get credit for the time served.
