Diddy trial live: Sean Combs awaits bail decision after conviction on prostitution offences - but is cleared of most serious charges

Sky News

02-07-2025

22:02:19
Bail hearing to begin shortly
We're expecting Diddy's bail hearing to begin in the next few moments.
Lawyers have started gathering inside the courtroom and the rapper's family have taken their seats, taking up the entire second row of the gallery behind Combs.
A reminder, his lawyers have asked for him to be released as he awaits sentencing after he was cleared of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking,
Prosecutors have rejected that request.
21:48:33
US govt might have 'overplayed hand' with racketeering charge, criminal attorney says
US criminal attorney Eric Farris has told Sky News the racketeering conspiracy charge, which Sean Combs has been cleared of, was always going to be complicated.
He also answers the question of domestic violence, which has come up during the trial and is something Combs's defence admitted to - so why wasn't he charged with this?
Firstly, the racketeering laws were designed for "the mafia or street gangs", Farris says, and in this case the government attemped to apply it to the hip-hop mogul's business, Bad Boy Entertainment.
"But what they had to prove was that there was a criminal enterprise, multiple affiliates who had agreed with one another to engage in crime," he says.
"Well, there hadn't been any co-conspirators charged, and the government didn't call as witnesses any of those primary affiliates. And so I think the jury was left wondering, hey, if this is a criminal enterprise, why is there only one alleged criminal in it?"
Domestic violence is usually a state charge - this case was a federal one, brought by the government.
"And I think the federal government wanted to bring the most serious charges they could. But but perhaps they overplayed their hand a bit."
21:21:18
Diddy's family outside court earlier
We also have pictures of Sean "Diddy" Combs's family outside court after the verdict was confirmed.
His mother, Janice, has been in court to support him throughout the trial.
21:17:58
Sketches of Diddy in court for verdict
Here are some more sketches from the courtroom today, with the first showing Sean "Diddy" Combs leading his family in a prayer before the verdict was read.
His mother Janice Combs and his six eldest children have been in court to support him.
As the verdict was delivered, the hip-hop mogul raised his hands in prayer.
21:10:50
Diddy bail hearing coming up - and lawyers expected to speak outside court
There has been a bit of a lull over the last few hours as we await a decision on whether or not Sean "Diddy" Combs will be released on bail ahead of sentencing.
A hearing on this will take place at 10pm UK time.
Defence lawyers say Combs has been a model prisoner and poses no flight risk, while prosecutors say the opposite.
A lawyer for Cassie has also submitted a letter to the court, saying she believes Combs "is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community".
Combs's lawyers have indicated they will speak outside court later on.
The hip-hop mogul will be sentenced at a later hearing on a date still to be set.
20:27:17
Defence previously argued transportation for prostitution charge was racist
Three months before the start of the trial, lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs attemped to get a transportation for prostitution charge against him dismissed.
At that time, he only faced one count - as a second was added in April.
In their filing to the court in February, lawyers for Combs said he had been subject to a "racist" prosecution - "singled out because he is a powerful black man" and was being prosecuted "for conduct that regularly goes unpunished".
The rapper's legal team claimed there had "never been a similar prosecution" under the Mann Act, the federal law the count falls under, which is also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act.
Combs has now been found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution, but cleared of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex-trafficking.
19:57:08
Diddy is not ready 'to re-enter society safely or responsibly', stylist and witness tells judge
Deonte Nash, a stylist who worked with both Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie Ventura - and gave evidence during the trial - has also written a letter to the judge over the proposed bail before sentencing.
During his testimony, Nash detailed several incidents of alleged violence inflicted on Cassie by Combs during their relationship.
On one occasion, Diddy turned up at her LA flat, "grabbed her by the hair", "kicked her" and "hit her pretty hard", he told the court. She hit her head on a bed frame and suffered a gash to her forehead and eyebrow, he added.
Nash also said Combs was violent towards him.
Now, in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, he has expressed his "grave concern" over the prospect of Combs being released from prison ahead of sentencing.
"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," he said. "Mr Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behaviour.
"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 licence to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him."
Nash said he does not believe Combs is ready "to re-enter society safely or responsibly".
19:36:45
Cassie believes Diddy is 'likely to pose a danger', lawyer says
Doug Wigdor, who represents Cassie Ventura, has submitted a letter asking the court to deny Sean "Diddy" Combs's release on bail.
In the letter, Wigdor referenced part of the US's Bail Reform Act to say that detention is "mandatory" after convictions on the charges Combs has been found guilty of.
Cassie "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," he added.
19:31:54
Prosecutors indicate sentence could be lower than maximum of 20 years
In their letter arguing for Sean "Diddy" Combs to be denied bail, prosecutors also set out details for the sentencing range.
The charges of transportation for prostitution carry a sentence of up to 10 years each, and prosecutors earlier indicated they would be looking for the maximum sentence.
In their letter, though, they say that after preliminary calculations the sentencing range should be "at least" 51 to 63 months - so roughly four to five years in prison.
However, they go on to say guidelines may be higher than this as they have not yet had adequate time to consider all the details.
Combs has already served more than nine months in prison.
19:07:25
Diddy can't prove he is not a flight risk, or that he does not pose any danger, prosecutors say
We have now received the letter from the government to Judge Arun Subramanian, arguing their case for keeping Sean "Diddy" Combs in prison while he awaits sentence.
"Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant's violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection," they say.
"This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts."
Prosecutors refer in their letter to admissions of drug use and domestic violence made by the defence during the case.
They also highlight details of federal raids on Combs's homes in March 2024, during which "law enforcement recovered narcotics and three separate firearms with defaced serial numbers", they say.
They also argue Combs "cannot meet his burden to show by clear and convincing evidence that he is not likely to flee or pose a danger to any other person or the community".
The judge will decide whether or not to grant Combs bail until his sentencing later this evening, at 10pm UK time.