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After seven intense weeks in a Manhattan federal courtroom, the high-profile criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs concluded on July 2, 2025. Following the jury's decision, tensions rose over whether Combs would be released while awaiting sentencing—a move the prosecution opposed, arguing that the rapper was likely to commit further crimes if freed.
According to CNN, Diddy, who had been charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation for engaging in prostitution, was found guilty only on the lesser charges he's facing. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, and found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.
These acquittals spared the rap mogul a potential life sentence. However, Diddy still faces up to 10 years in prison per conviction, putting him at risk of serving as many as 20 years behind bars.
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Following the jury's verdict, Combs' lead defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, urged the court to release him under "appropriate conditions" while he awaited sentencing. He argued that the acquittals on the most serious charges warranted a reconsideration of Combs' confinement, as per ABC7 News.
"He has been acquitted of very serious charges. It is my proposal he be permitted to walk out of the courtroom. I am not saying it is not a serious crime. It is a crime of a vastly different nature. I believe that a significant change in conditions is warranted," Agnifilo said.
However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, the lead prosecutor, firmly opposed the request. She argued that the trial had revealed disturbing patterns of behavior, including rampant drug use and serious abuse, none of which the defense had contested.
Comey further emphasized that Combs had committed a "litany of crimes" even while in custody, showing "no respect" for the rule of law, adding that the government intended to seek a sentence of incarceration for the rapper.
"There is no reason to believe he would do anything different if he were released now," she stated.
Diddy's defense team submits letter to judge seeking rapper's release
Following Judge Arun Subramanian's directive to both the prosecution and the defense to submit their positions on the potential release of Sean "Diddy" Combs ahead of his sentencing, Combs' legal team filed a detailed proposal advocating for his release under strict conditions.
According to CNN, in their submission, Combs' attorneys argued for the rapper's release on a $1 million bond, co-signed by Diddy, along with his mother, sister, and the mother of his eldest daughter.
The defense proposed that if Diddy was released ahead of his sentencing, then his movements would be limited to specific states. These states would be Florida, California, New York, and New Jersey, where the rapper either owned homes or needed to be present for legal proceedings.
Additional conditions in the letter included the surrender of his passport and mandatory drug testing by pretrial services. The letter emphasized that the rapper would also adhere to all other standard pretrial supervision requirements.
The defense emphasized that Combs, who had already spent 10 months in custody, faced significantly less prison time than if he had been convicted on more severe charges. They referenced the advisory U.S. sentencing guidelines, which placed his expected sentencing range between 21 and 27 months for the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, involving two separate victims.
"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," Diddy's defense stated in their letter.
Previously, while proposing the request for the rapper's release, Agnifilo had also underscored the seriousness with which Combs viewed the opportunity to await sentencing outside prison. He explained that Combs deeply valued the jury's decision and would not risk violating any conditions imposed.
"Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury… He treasures, I assure you, the opportunity that he has been given, and he will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him," Agnifilo said.
He further insisted that Combs would be "nothing short of a fool" to squander the "opportunity".
Sean "Diddy" Combs' bail hearing is scheduled for 5 pm on July 2, 2025, where Judge Arun Subramanian will decide if the rapper should be released on bond or not.
