Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was denied bail on Wednesday after a jury reached its decision in his federal sex trafficking trial. The jury found him guilty on two lesser charges—transportation to engage in prostitution—but cleared him of the most serious ones.
The 12 jurors spent 13 hours in deliberating before they decided to acquit Combs of three out of five total charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Right after the verdict was read, Combs dropped to his knees and buried his head in a chair at the defense table. He had just spent nearly seven weeks on trial in New York City.
Also Read: What serious charges was Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs cleared of—and why is he still in jail?
Is the verdict a victory or a defeat for Sean Combs?
Outside the courthouse, Combs’ defense attorney Marc Agnifilo spoke to reporters. Agnifilo said, “It’s a great victory for Sean Combs. It’s a great victory for the jury system.”
While Combs was convicted on two felony charges, he avoided the most serious outcome. If he had been found guilty of racketeering conspiracy or sex trafficking, he could have faced life in prison. Now, the most he can be sentenced to is 20 years, but it may be less than that, as per CNN report.
CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig called the outcome unexpected. Honig said, “It’s a bit of a paradox, because here we have Sean Combs, who has just been convicted of two federal felonies.”
“And for all practical purposes, he has won. He has defeated the Southern District of New York.”
Prosecutors allege Combs ran a criminal group
Prosecutors said Combs ran a criminal group with the help of his close staff. They claimed that this group used threats, violence, forced labor, and bribery to pressure women—including Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman known as “Jane”—into drug-fueled sex acts. These events were often referred to as “Freak Offs” or “hotel nights,” and involved male escorts.
Dawn Richard, a former member of the group Danity Kane, was one of the 34 witnesses for the prosecution. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, shared a statement after the verdict:
“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. We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn,” Bloom said.
Also Read: Why Diddy was denied bail after verdict. Look at what Judge Arun Subramanian said
A letter from Cassie Ventura’s attorney
There may have been another reason why the judge chose not to release Combs. A letter from Cassie Ventura’s attorney was sent to Judge Arun Subramanian, asking him not to allow Combs out of custody. Criminal defense trial lawyer Stacy Schneider believes this letter may have influenced the judge’s decision.
The letter said Ventura believes that “Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself.”
Schneider said, “I think Cassie Ventura’s letter might have had an effect on the judge.” She added that the judge may feel “that he needs to protect the community from Sean Combs.”
She also said the judge likely remembered what was said in court.
Schneider said, “The judge pointed out that defense attorneys during the trial admitted that their client was violent and had issues and problems and flaws, and that these were terrible situations. But again, the defense was saying it was domestic violence.” Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2025.
