NEW YORK (AP) — was denied bond after being convicted of prostitution-related offenses Wednesday. He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop’s most celebrated figures behind bars for life.
The mixed result capped a sordid legal odyssey that shattered Combs’ affable “Puff Daddy” image and derailed his career as a Grammy-winning
The Latest:
Combs wasn’t convicted of sex trafficking. A human trafficking expert witness speaks on why
Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco, who holds a Ph.D. in criminology, law and society and serves as a human trafficking expert witness in criminal and civil court, said on Wednesday that the sex trafficking charges didn’t stick because Combs did not engage in sex trafficking.
Prosecutors argued that he controlled these women by buying them houses and expensive things, but Mehlman-Orozco said that’s the polar opposite of what a trafficker typically does. Traffickers will deprive you of things and take your money, she said.
Mehlman-Orozco also said prosecutors weren’t able to charge him with assault-related crimes because the statute of limitations had elapsed. And she said that is a problem.
“We have now seen on an international stage what happens when we don’t have a long enough statute of limitations for domestic violence or intimate partner violence charges,” she said. “This should be a catalyst for reform.”
‘Today is a major win,’ defense attorney says
Defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland cited Combs’ decision to avail himself of his right to a trial.
“He actually battled for his freedom, for his innocence, and he did it. And, you know, a lot of times, people are too afraid to do it,” she observed. “Today is a major win to show what the system can do.”
Combs’ lawyer calls the verdict a ‘great victory’
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said outside the courthouse that the jury “got the situation right — or certainly right enough.”
“Today is a victory of all victories,” he said.
Combs speaks to family as he leaves court
As Combs left the courtroom for a final time, he stood in front of his family, telling them: “I’ll see you when I get out” and “We’re going to get through this.” He also told them, “Be strong, I love you.”
He looked toward his mother and said, “Mama. I love you. Stay strong.”
As soon as Combs was denied bail, he had snapped his head toward his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, and then wrote him several notes as he spoke, finally raising his hand and waving it to get the judge’s attention. But he did not speak after consulting with Agnifilo.
The bail hearing has ended
Defense lawyers had pressed Judge Arun Subramanian to reconsider the ruling denying Combs release, but Subramanian stood firm.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lawyer, argued: “He’s not going to flee. He’s been given his life back.”
Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the only thing that’s exceptional about Combs is “his wealth, his violence and his brazenness” and “his continued criminality and his willingness to violate the law.”
“Listening to Ms. Comey makes me appreciate that we have juries,” Agnifilo said, taking a swipe at the prosecutor.
Evidence at trial pointed to Combs exhibiting a ‘yearslong pattern of violence,’ judge says
“For present purposes, the defendant is unable to meet his burden” to show by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community,” Arun Subramanian said.
Judge says applicable law didn’t allow for Combs’ release at this point
Among other reasons, the judge noted Combs’ violent history: “At trial, the defense conceded the defendant’s violence in his personal relationships.”
Judge declines to grant Combs bond
The decision came after a jury convicted Combs of federal prostitution-related offenses but acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Combs, 55, has been behind bars since his arrest in September.
The Grammy-winning impresario stands convicted of two counts of a crime — transportation to engage in prostitution — that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But jurors cleared him of charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
His lawyers argued that the acquittal on those counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should be freed on $1 million bond. Prosecutors said he remained a flight risk.
Combs could be sentenced to 10 years in prison, but he likely won’t
While the law allows for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, the lawyers in the case have said in court filings that guidelines suggest a sentence that would fall well short of that.
The defense suggested as little as 21 months, minus what Combs has already served. Prosecutors suggested a little more than 5 years, though they cautioned they hadn’t fully evaluated the conviction yet.
The sentence will ultimately be up to the judge.
Combs returns to court
Combs walked in, put his hands up to his lips in a prayer pose and blew a kiss to his family.
He hugged one of the members of his defense team, then sat at the defense table, wearing black-rimmed glasses and reading papers.
Prosecutors are also in courtroom, settled into their seats. Combs’ family and supporters took their seats in the gallery.
Because there’s no jury, sketch artists are allowed in the jury box for this proceeding.
New defense letter provides more reasons to release Combs on bail
“By its verdict, the jury resoundingly rejected the government’s depiction of Mr. Combs,” the letter to the judge says.
“It convicted him only on two prostitution counts, which were related to the transportation of adults — adults whom the jury clearly found were consensual participants in the sexual activity.”
The letter also complained, again, about housing Combs at for its horrific conditions, rampant violence and multiple deaths.
“It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the MDC even one day longer, especially since — given the sentencing guidelines for these prostitution offenses — he would otherwise be entitled to serve any additional time imposed at a lower-security facility.”
Legal pundit thinks she knows why Combs was acquitted of racketeering
Attorney Dina Doll said prosecutors had to show that his musical enterprise, Bad Boy Records, “wasn’t just a business that he happened to maybe commit crimes under, but that this was a criminal enterprise.”
Doll, who was not involved in the case, said this was too much of a leap, and very hard to prove.
“I think that’s what ended up being, at the end, why they acquitted there,” she said.
Combs’s defense team argued before his trial that he was being singled out as a powerful Black man. But Doll said his fame and celebrity helped him beat the more serious charges that could have put him in prison for life.
“I think the one area where the fame really matters, honestly, is that he was able to retain, like, a dream team of lawyers,” Doll said. “A typical criminal defendant cannot do that, and I think that’s where his fame and celebrity helped him.”
The Mann Act has a long racial history
The federal Mann Act used against is an anti-sex trafficking law with a controversial, century-old history.
Over the years, the 1910 law, also originally known as the “White-Slave Traffic Act,” has been applied to prominent convictions, including , , and more than a century ago, boxer Jack Johnson. The first Black world heavyweight champion was convicted by an all-white jury for traveling with his white girlfriend.
Prosecutors used it against interracial couples and eventually many others in consensual relationships, according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute.
Combs’ legal team had tried to dismiss the prostitution-related charges by writing that the Mann Act “has a long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins, used to target Black men and supposedly protect white women from them.” It said Combs was singled out as a powerful Black man, “prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.”
▶ Read more about
Combs expressed confidence after the verdict
Combs appeared overwhelmed before court adjourned for a few hours to prepare for his bail hearing. He wiped his face, turning and kneeling at his chair, his head bowed in prayer, and then faced his family in the audience as they stood and applauded.
“I’ll be home soon,” he said, and “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, Mom,” he added.
There’s no date yet for sentencing, when the judge will decide on Combs’ punishment for the prostitution conviction.
Cassie’s lawyer wants the judge to deny bail
Douglas H. Wigdor represents Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Combs’ girlfriend from 2007 to 2018.
“Detention is mandatory post-conviction on these charges, and 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,” says his letter asking the judge to deny bail.
Cassie testified for four days, saying she felt coerced to participate in hundreds of “freak-off” sex events in which Combs filmed her having sex with male sex workers he hired to satisfy his sexual fantasies. She also testified that Combs beat her on several occasions. Several other trial witnesses described seeing Combs attack Cassie over the years.
Judge sets a 5 p.m. Wednesday bail hearing
Combs remains in custody after the verdict. His attorneys want him released while he awaits sentencing, on a $1,000,000 bond signed by himself, his mother, his sister and the mother of his oldest daughter.
Prosecutors oppose any release, saying he was convicted of crimes of violence.
The court has said Judge Arun Subramanian will return to the courtroom at 5 p.m. to make a decision on Combs’ bail request.
Prosecutors argue against bail, citing crimes of violence
Their letter to the judge says their calculation based on federal sentencing guidelines calls for roughly four to five years in prison — and the term they will suggest in writing before his sentencing may be higher still, because they contend fraud and coercion were involved.
They also argue that Combs was convicted of a crime of violence and therefore should be freed prior to sentencing only if the judge finds “clear and convincing evidence” that he won’t flee or pose a danger to anyone.
Prosecutors say detention is mandatory in these circumstances — they could not find a case in which a defendant was released from custody after such a conviction.
They also said Combs remains a danger to the community because three months before his arrest and while he was aware he was under investigation, he “brutally assaulted” a woman who testified at his trial under the pseudonym “Jane.” And they say he was in possession of materials for a “freak-off” sex event when he was arrested at a New York hotel in September.
Defense lawyers argue for Combs to be released on bail
Their afternoon submission to the judge says their calculation of sentencing guidelines would call for about two years in prison.
They argued against a prosecutor’s assertion this morning that Combs is a flight risk or a danger to the community.
And they said Combs has missed some big moments in the lives of his children while behind bars since his September arrest.
They said he has missed the high school graduation of his twin daughters, who didn’t have a parent with them because their mother, Kim Porter, died in 2018. And they said he’s been separated from his 2-year-old daughter and “needs and wants to be with -- and remain with -- his family.”
One federal sentencing expert predicts a relatively short prison term
Attorney Mitchell Epner, a former federal prosecutor in New York, says the technical maximum is 10 years for each prostitution-related count Combs was convicted of, but federal sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence “measured in months, not years.”
He says the guidelines give the judge a starting point of 15 to 21 months. Epner predicts the defense will argue that the nine months Combs spent in the Metropolitan Detention Center were so horrific that Combs deserves to be sentenced to time-served and freed on bail. Prosecutors, he predicts, will argue that the prostitution convictions involved coercion and merit a lengthy sentence.
Epner’s best guess is a sentence of 24 to 30 months, nothing like 10 or 20 years.
The usual crowd has grown outside the courthouse
The trial-watching crowd of TikTokers, YouTubers, supporters, detractors and members of the traditional news media outside the courthouse is now waiting for word on whether Combs will be freed pending his sentencing.
In one bizarre celebration, a woman danced around while a man poured baby oil on her, an homage of sorts to an activity at Combs’ so-called “freak-offs” and “hotel nights.”
The crowd spilled into the street at times, prompting police officers to shoo them back to the sidewalk. Officers later added to a maze of barricades as more people gathered.
TV reporters from national networks, local stations and international outlets reported the news from a row of makeshift studios. The 14 tents went up across from a park where men keep working out or shooting hoops, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to the spectacle around them.
Singer Dawn Richard’s lawyer still seeking ‘complete justice’
Richard if she told anyone that she saw him physically abusing his longtime girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
“Today’s split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,” wrote Richard’s attorney, Lisa Bloom. “We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.”
What will the verdict mean for Combs’ business empire?
Combs’s acquittal on comes long after the once-celebrated music mogul’s major business ventures collapsed:
1. He and later fully divested from Revolt TV, a network that offered programming focused on hip-hop culture, R&B music, social justice and documentaries.
2. He reportedly lost a Hulu reality series deal, watched his once-iconic fashion brand Sean John vanish from Macy’s shelves, and Peloton pulled his music.
3. New York City revoked his ceremonial key, Howard University rescinded his honorary degree, and his cut ties.
4. He settled a , relinquishing control of his lucrative spirits brands, Ciroc and DeLeón.
However:
5. His Bad Boy Records label remains operational, even though it hasn’t announced any major upcoming releases.
6. His music catalog — for now — remains available on major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. None have publicly addressed whether they plan to adjust how his music is featured.
▶ Read more about
Jurors have left the courthouse, remaining anonymous
The court has not released identifying information about the jurors, who were discreetly ushered into and out of the courthouse each day so that the media had no access to them. Trial observers had to remain in the courtroom for about 10 minutes until the jurors were all taken down in a freight elevator, likely to the courthouse garage.
Before dismissing them, the judge spoke to the jury, guiding them on whether and how to speak about the case to the media. He told them not to speak about other jurors’ deliberations.
Celebrities react to the Combs verdict
7. “Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!” — rapper 50 Cent, .
8. “I’m tired of seeing us Black moguls get took down like that. ... And I’m tired of seeing us Black people go against us Black moguls like that.” — rapper Boosie Badazz, in an video. “I’m glad he free ... The courts spoke.”
9. “Oh, this makes me physically ill. Cassie probably feels so horrible. I’m gonna vomit.” — singer Aubrey O’Day, formerly of the girl group Danity Kane, on her Instagram story.
10. “I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion, wow.” — on Instagram.
What is the Mann Act, which Combs was convicted of violating?
Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters in violation of the federal Mann Act.
The 1910 law originally prohibited the interstate or foreign commerce transport of a woman or girl “for prostitution or debauchery or for any other immoral purpose.” A 1986 update made the law gender-neutral and effectively ended the Act’s role in trying to legislate morality by changing “debauchery” and “immoral purpose” to “any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.”
▶ Read more about
Federal officials: All Americans want ‘scourge’ of sex crimes stopped
The statement by federal officials on the verdict in U.S. v. Sean Combs doesn’t mention the verdict, or Combs.
“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,” says the statement by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and Ricky Patel, who runs New York’s field office for Homeland Security Investigations.
“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,” said the statement, which also praises law enforcement offices “for their assistance in this matter.”
Cassie’s lawyer says she ‘paved the way’
A lawyer for the R&B singer, who previously dated Combs and testified that he beat and raped her, lauded her courage despite the verdict.
“Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution,” Douglas H. Wigdor said in a written statement.
“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
How long did the jury deliberate for?
Overall, the jury deliberated for about 13 and a half hours over the course of three days.
It’s been almost two months since jury selection began on May 5.
The verdict came as the jury faced the prospect of coming into court Thursday, while the courthouse is otherwise closed, or waiting until after the long Independence Day weekend to resume deliberating if they didn’t have a decision Wednesday.
What Combs said to his family as he left the courtroom
As Combs turned toward his family as he left the courtroom, he smiled as they applauded and said: “I’ll be home soon.”
He added: “I love you, baby” and, “I love you, Mom.”
U.S. Marshals then ushered him out. Combs will remain in custody as the judge considers the defense’s argument that the hip-hop mogul should be granted bail and released until his sentencing.
Combs seems overwhelmed, his friends and family overjoyed
Combs’ family stood and applauded as Diddy faced them before being led out by authorities. The family also cheered for the hip-hop mogul’s lawyers as the defense attorneys hugged one another.
Combs wiped his face, turned and kneeled at his chair, his head bowed in prayer, as court adjourned. The judge said he'll reconvene later Wednesday to discuss whether to grant Combs bail.
Prosecutors say they will seek to have Combs incarcerated
The charges Combs was convicted of carry a maximum of 10 years behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey notes.
“Mr. Agnifilo tried to downplay the significance” of the charges Combs was convicted of, “but the record says otherwise,” the prosecutor says.
She said the court has heard testimony of years of illegal conduct, transporting sex workers, drug use and attempting to intimidate witnesses.
Comey argued there’s a “real risk that he will flagrantly disregard orders from this court, that he will commit new crimes and that he will attempt to flee justice.”
Combs’ defense attorney asks the judge to release his client on bail
“In light of the fact that Mr. Combs is no longer charged with sex trafficking ... he should be released,” Marc Agnifilo said.
Agnifilo wants Combs to be released today and allowed to return to his Florida home.
He says the acquittal on the serious charges demands a change in Combs’ conditions of release.
Prosecutors oppose Combs being released on bail.
Combs reacts to verdict
Combs pumped his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. And he nodded his head in agreement as the judge thanked the jury for its hard work over the last eight weeks.
As the verdicts were read, he held up his hands in a prayer motion. Then he was hugging his defense lawyer Teny Geragos.
Here’s how the jury decided on all charges
11. COUNT ONE — Racketeering Conspiracy — NOT GUILTY
12. COUNT TWO — Sex Trafficking of Casandra Ventura — NOT GUILTY
13. COUNT THREE — Transportation to engage in prostitution — Casandra Ventura — GUILTY
14. COUNT FOUR — Sex Trafficking of Jane — NOT GUILTY
15. COUNT FIVE — Transportation to engage in prostitution – Jane — GUILTY
The jury has reached a verdict on all charges in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial
The jury has reached a verdict Wednesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial in New York City on the third day of deliberations.
The verdict has yet to be announced in court.
In addition to sex trafficking, Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy and transporting sex workers across state lines.
FILE - This courtroom sketch depicts Sean “Diddy” Combs sitting at the defense table during his bail hearing in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers acknowledge he could be violent and may have been a bad boyfriend. But they deny that he’s done anything to warrant the charges against him.
If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
10:06 AM EDT
JUST IN: The jury in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial has reached a verdict on all charges
By
The Associated Press
