The Guardian’s Edward Helmore brings us his report from inside the courthouse:
Sean “Diddy” Combs held his head in his hands and appeared to be stunned when a judge handed down a 50-month sentence in a New York courtroom on Friday for prostitution-related offenses.
It was a sentence far less than the life term he potentially faced at the start of his sex-trafficking conspiracy trial back in May, but Combs appeared shocked by the outcome. The judgment came just minutes after Combs had pleaded with Judge Arun Subramanian that he took full “accountability and responsibility” for his actions, and stating that he was a changed man who would, if released, devote himself to his family and community.
The sentence down came with barely a noise in the courtroom. Combs’ family members and supporters had been warned by a court clerk to keep any expression of their feelings in check.
After the sentence was delivered, Combs appeared surprised to find two court marshals behind him, ready to lead him back to Metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn, where he has been incarcerated since his arrest 13 months ago.
Outside the courtroom, there was a palpable sense of deflation as neither prosecutors nor Combs’s defense had got the result they wanted. A trial that had heard graphic accounts of sexual abuse, which the defendant had claimed was consensual, ended in a kind of whimper. The sentence handed down – four years, two months - was 10 months less than a sentencing panel recommended and less than half of the 135 months, or 11 years, prosecutors requested.
Read the full story here:
Photos coming in from the wires show Combs’ mother, Janice, and his children exiting the courthouse following the sentencing ruling from the judge.
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A prominent women’s justice organization released a statement following Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing by a federal judge to more than four years in prison.
“Today’s sentencing reflects what survivors of sexual violence have long known: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a serial sexual predator and abuser who exploited women and men alike,” said Nicole Regalado, vice president of campaigns at UltraViolet.
“It’s important to remember that the only reason Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was held accountable at all was because Cassie and many other brave survivors came forward and shared their harrowing stories,” Regalado said. “These survivors took great personal risk to show the world who the real Diddy is.”
The US attorney for the Southern District of New York and the head of the New York office of Homeland Security Investigations thanked the federal judge for what they called his “thoughtful comments specifically crediting the victims and acknowledging their strength and courage for coming forward,” the New York Times reports.
Famed attorney Gloria Allred stated outside of the Manhattan federal court that she has clients who are actively suing Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging he sexually assaulted them.
Allred also said she knows of a number of victims who spoke with prosecutors but did not testify during the trial.
“Mr. Combs should be in prison for a while,” Allred said.
Allred added that a number of her clients, who feared retaliation by Combs, may be calmer now that Combs will spend time in prison.
Cassie Ventura’s attorney released a statement following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sentencing.
“While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed,” Doug Wigdor, Ventura’s attorney said in a statement, according to CNN. “We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue healing knowing that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many.”
After sentencing Sean “Diddy” Combs, the federal judge addressed Combs’ victims.
“I want to speak to the strong women who came forward: Ms. Ventura and Jane, you’ve been through trauma we can’t imagine,” federal judge Arun Subramanian said in court, according to Inner City Press. “I want to say: we heard you.”
Sean 'Diddy' Combs sentenced to over four years in prison
A federal judge sentenced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to just over four years in prison. He also required Combs to pay a $500,000 fine.
The judge previously said a “substantial sentence” was necessary to send a message to abusers, before sentencing Combs to 50 months in prison.
Combs was convicted earlier this year of violating the Mann Act, a law prohibiting the transport of individuals across state lines for illegal sex acts.
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Federal judge Arun Subramanain said he is not convinced that if Sean “Diddy” Combs were released that he would not commit those same crimes.
Subramanain says “a substantial sentence” must be given to send a message to abusers, CNN reports.
During his address to the court amid Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sentencing, federal judge Arun Subramanian said he considered that Combs may have “inspired and lifted up communities” but that he also abused people.
“The court has to consider all your history here,” the federal judge told Sean “Diddy” Combs, according to Inner City Press. “A history of good works can’t wash away the record in this case. You abused these women.”
The judge was “sitting right here, during the testimony,” when witnesses and victims testified to Combs’ abusive behavior.
After a brief recess, the court is back in session. The judge is now addressing the court.
Sean “Diddy” Combs said in court that he took “full responsibility” for the Mann Act convictions.
Combs was convicted earlier this year of violating the Mann Act, a law that prohibits crossing state lines for prostitution. He was acquitted of other charges.
During his address to the court, Sean “Diddy” Combs said he “knew better.”
“I’m not this larger than life person,” Combs said in court, according to Inner City Press. “I’m just a human being. I’m trying my best. I lost my freedom and the opportunity to raise my children and be there for my mother. I lost all my businesses.”
The Associated Press is reporting that Sean “Diddy” Combs called his own behavior “disgusting, shameful” and “sick.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs apologized to Cassie Ventura, the performer and Combs’ ex-girlfriend. Last year, video surfaced of Combs physically assaulting Ventura.
“I would like to apologize to all the victims of domestic violence. I know that the disgusting video triggered people,” Combs said in his address to the court, according to Inner City Press. “I was sick. Sick from the drugs. I needed help. But I didn’t get the help.”
Sean 'Diddy' Combs to address the court
Sean “Diddy” Combs is taking the stand at his sentencing hearing to address the court.
On Thursday night, Combs submitted a letter to the federal judge deciding his sentence. In the letter, Combs expressed regret and asked for a lenient sentence. During Combs’ address to the court, he is expected to echo what he wrote in Thursday’s letter.
“I want to apologize and say how sincerely sorry I am for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct,” Combs wrote in his letter. “I humbly ask you for another chance—another chance to be a better father, another chance to be a better son, another chance to be a better leader in my community, and another chance to live a better life.”
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The prosecution is now giving its rebuttal to what the defense has argued today.
Christy Slavik once again addressed the court and pleaded the judge not to believe Combs when he says that he is a changed man, reported the New York Times. Slavik said Combs had claimed the same thing after the video of him beating Casandra Ventura in 2016 was released, but he still went on to assault another girlfriend the next month.
We have heard from a total of five of Diddy’s defense attorneys during this hearing, alongside his children and other supporters who have all argued that he should be released.
Combs will give the last word once the prosecution has finished its rebuttal.
Marc Agnifilo, the lead defense attorney in the case, just spoke briefly. He began by acknowledging that the defense is “asking for a lot” with a requested sentence of no more than 14 months, but said that this case has already had “devastating” effects on Combs’ businesses and on his reputation as a whole.
Agnifilo added that multiple doctors have diagnosed Combs with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Associated Press. He said they made such findings in 2014, 2017 and 2020.
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Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson is the next to speak, arguing that Combs does not deserve a harsh penalty along the lines of a convicted “pimp” because he did not recruit women to engage in paid sex work, nor did he make any money off their work.
“The government equates Sean Combs with a pimp. I want to be clear Mr Combs is not a pimp,” Donaldson told the court, according to NBC News. “A pimp is in the business of subjugating women, therefore he should not and cannot be considered a pimp.”
Donaldson also took issue with the prosecution’s earlier claim that Combs had preemptively scheduled “speaking engagements” in Miami for next week under the assumption that he would be released, reported the New York Times.
He clarified that Combs would fill his time upon release “not with speaking engagements, but with teaching engagements” for the incarcerated in South Florida.
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Here are some of the courtroom sketches that have come through so far from today’s hearing. The drawings depict Combs becoming emotional as his children addressed the court and as his defense video played.
When speaking about Combs’ past, Steel also brought up Combs’ former close friend, Christopher Wallace (known as the rapper Biggie Smalls and the Notorious B.I.G) and how his 1997 murder impacted Combs.
He also spoke about his client’s addiction to painkillers following a medical procedure in 2000. After that, Combs was high “every single day,” Steel said, according to the Associated Press.
“He was medicating because his body was hurt and his emotions were hurt,” he added. “But he never stopped working. And all of that, the drug addiction and the trauma — untreated, your honor — caused him to hit, on occasion... the woman he loved.”
Steel said Combs remains haunted by his violent outbursts, remembering “every strike” he’s inflicted.
Combs “has punished himself more than anyone will be able to punish him and it will stay with him for the rest of his days,” Steel argued. “Mr. Combs does not need any additional time in custody. That is not the way we treat” drug addiction and trauma today, he said.
Steel pleads for lighter sentence, highlighting violence in prison
Brian Steel, one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys is pleading with a judge for a lighter sentence, while discussing conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he is currently held.
“He lives with 25 people, in one room. There’s a TV area, a supposed bed. There are drugs there. He has not taken drugs,” Steel reportedly said to the judge, according to Inner City Press. “There is violence. The water is polluted. You have to boil it. There are screams day and night.”
The Metropolitan Detention Center is located in the Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn. It is a looming federal prison, where many high-profile detainees are being held. Among them are Luigi Mangione, Mexican drug lords Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero.
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An attorney for Sean “Diddy” Combs said in court that he “would have pled guilty to the Mann Act” charges, but that prosecutors did not offer that deal.
Violating the Mann Act is what Combs was eventually convicted of earlier this year. The law prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for sexual activity.
Combs attorney Brian Steel speaks of mogul's 'untreated trauma' and 'ferocious' addiction
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorney, Brian Steel, is addressing the court, breaking down the past trauma Combs experienced.
“I sit here with tears in my eyes because I can’t believe we’re here,” Steel said, according to CNN. “Please consider the following two reasons I believe we’re here: untreated trauma — great trauma in Sean’s life — and a ferocious drug addiction that got out of hand.”
Steel also discussed Combs’ father’s killing and Combs’ history of drug addiction.
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The sentencing hearing for Sean “Diddy” Combs is back in session, with federal judge Arun Subramanian back on the bench.
Summary: Combs' sentencing hearing so far
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sentencing is continuing after a brief lunch break, as a judge considers the convicted hip-hop mogul’s punishment.
Here’s a brief summary of the sentencing hearing so far. The court is set to reconvene at 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
In July, the 55-year-old Combs was convicted of flying people around the country for sexual encounters, including his girlfriends and male sex workers. He was acquitted by a jury of more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
Prosecutors say he should spend more than 11 years in prison for his conviction for “transportation to engage in prostitution,” the AP reports. And Combs’ attorneys want him freed now. The prosecutors argued this morning that Combs deserved the 11 years to also deter more people from committing such crimes. They also argued that he had not owned up to his crimes and instead chose to portray himself as a victim in a letter addressed to the judge on Thursday night.
Combs’ attorneys have attempted to portray him as a changed man deserving leniency from the judge. One of his attorneys, Nicole Westmoreland, even teared up during the sentencing hearing when discussing Combs’ accomplishments as a Black entrepreneur.
Six of his children took the stand, with two of his daughters breaking down in tears as they read their prepared statements. Combs, himself, also cried during the hearing.
Before the lunch break, Combs’ attorneys played an 11-minute-long video, where Combs is seen with his children, praying and engaging in philanthropic work.
Attorneys also emphasized that Combs taught classes in jail and gave advice to other inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a looming federal prison in the Sunset Park neighborhood.
Three more defense lawyers – and even Combs himself – are expected to speak in court after returning from lunch.
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Meanwhile, outside of the courthouse, an exotic dancer who testified at the trial is promoting a self-help book that he wrote.
Sharay Hayes who went by the stage name “The Punisher” testified at the trial about being paid to have sex with Combs’ girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“It’s been a crazy couple of months for me,” he said, reported the Associated Press.
Hayes said he believes that the judge should sentence Diddy to the time he’s already served in jail.
Cassie has asked for a tougher sentence. She told the court she was manipulated into participating in sexual encounters with other men, and that Combs frequently beat her.
The sentencing hearing is now breaking for lunch until 2:15PM ET, when more of Combs’ lawyers and supporters are set to speak.
The lunch break follows the defense playing an approximately 11 minute-long video where Combs is seen with his children, praying and engaging in philanthropic work, according to the Associated Press.
Star's children tell court their father is a 'changed man'
Combs’ children are now addressing the court.
Quincy Brown, Combs’ eldest son, and his brother, Justin Brown, are currently speaking in support of their father alongside their four other siblings.
Quincy said that he and his siblings love their father unconditionally, and that Combs has since become a “changed man” who has learned his lesson, reported NBC News.
Justin added that he hopes his father will be granted the opportunity “to right this wrong and to be the man he truly is.” He added that Combs is now drug-free.
Chance Combs, his eldest daughter, told the judge that while her father was incarcerated, she has seen changes in him that “feel real and lasting,” according to the New York Times.
“When we talk he speaks with a clear mind and sense of purpose that I didn’t always hear before,” she said.
Combs was seen crying and wiping away tears as his children spoke.
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Defense lawyer in tears as she tells court Combs helped and inspired many people
Another defense lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, reportedly broke down in tears while discussing Combs’ importance to the Black community stemming from his entrepreneurial work in fashion, liquor, TV and music, in addition to owning a record label.
Westmoreland described the “help and inspiration” Combs has given others throughout his life, and the commitment that Combs made while he’s been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, reported the New York Times.
“Mr. Combs starting his own record label as a Black, young male back then was almost kind of jokeable. But he had the audacity to do it anyway,” Westmoreland said.
“This changed the industry, and it changed the culture, but more importantly, it changed countless individuals’ lives, because what people recognized is that if Mr. Combs could do it, then they could do it too,” she said, according to CNN.
“Mr. Combs wearing all of those hats,” she added, “sent a message that you can do it. You don’t just have to be signed to a label, you can be the label.”
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Defense attorney Jason Driscoll has begun his statement.
Multiple defense attorneys are expected to speak on Combs’ behalf. Driscoll said he will be addressing sentencing disparities.
Driscoll began by recapping his client’s convictions under the Mann Act on the lowest end of the spectrum of severity. The Mann Act is often used to prosecute defendants who profited from commercial sex operations, exploited minors or transported vulnerable victims.
“Sean Combs did not make a single cent off his Mann Act conduct,” he said, according to CNN. “That aggravating factor is completely off the table in this case.”
The prosecutors have acknowledged that Combs did not profit from the prostitution in this case, Driscoll said.
Prosecutor says Combs' letter to judge shows he casts himself as 'victim in this scenario'
Slavik criticized Combs’ Thursday night letter which sought leniency from the judge, saying that he portrayed himself as the victim of his own bad behavior.
“Even in his submission last night, his remorse was qualified,” Slavik said, according to the Associated Press.
In the letter, Combs wrote: “My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry.”
Slavik argued that the framing of the letter is an attempt by Combs to cast himself as “the victim in this scenario.”
The prosecutor added: “This is not a person who has accepted responsibility.”
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Prosecutor tells court Combs booked speaking engagements 'for next week'
Prosecutor Christy Slavik is giving her statement.
“Today is about accountability and justice. Accountability for the defendant, who committed serious federal crimes repeatedly over the course of 15 years. And justice for the public, including for the victims whose lives have been shattered by the defendant’s acts of abuse and exploitation,” Slavik said, reported CNN.
She added: “This isn’t just a case about ‘Freak Offs’ or ‘hotel nights.’ It’s not just a case about sex. It’s a case with real victims who’ve suffered real harm at the hands of the defendant who, because of the defendant, have questioned their own self-worth and desire to live.”
Many in the courtroom reportedly reacted with shock when Slavik told the judge that Combs had already booked speaking engagements in Miami “for next week,” appearing to anticipate that he would be let off with a light sentence.
“That is the height of hubris,” Slavik said, according to the New York Times.
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Judge Subramanian has given prosecutors the freedom to cite “acquitted conduct,” a term used in reference to actions by Combs in charges for which he was found not guilty.
“The court will be best to determine whether it qualifies as relevant conduct,” the judge said, reported NBC News. “We consider all the facts to impose the sentence, but not greater than necessary.”
A rule from the federal sentencing commission that went into effect in 2024 limits judges from considering “acquitted conduct” when calculating sentencing guidelines. But the judge said the law still allows him to still consider such conduct for the sentence.
So, despite Combs being cleared of the most serious charges, testimony about the alleged coercion he may have used against former girlfriends Jane and Mia can still be cited by the prosecution.
Witness expected to address court no longer wishes to speak, prosecutors say
A woman, referred to only by the pseudonym “Mia” throughout Combs’ trial, was expected to offer a witness impact statement during Combs’ sentencing today. However, moments after the hearing started, it was announced that she no longer wished to speak.
Instead, she submitted a victim impact statement that prosecutors are asking the court to consider in Combs’ sentencing, reports Reuters.
According to the prosecution, Mia has decided against speaking at the hearing because of a letter the defense submitted that accused her of being a liar.
The letter “can only be described as bullying,” said prosecutor Christy Slavik. “It appears the defense is trying to drown out the voices of victims in favor of character witnesses.”
The judge agreed with Slavik and said the tone of the letter was “inappropriate.”
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Judge Arun Subramanian has entered the courtroom and taken the bench.
“Good morning and good morning to you, Mr. Combs,” the judge said.
“Good morning, your honor,” Combs replied.
Judge Subramanian then explained how the hearing will unfold, confirming he has received large amounts of paperwork from both sides of the case, and that he’s ready to proceed.
“I have read all the material and read the letters and greatly appreciate those,” he told the court.
The papers include sentencing memos, exhibits, letters from family friends and inmates, and a defense video.
Combs sentencing hearing begins
The hearing has begun. Combs was just brought into the packed courtroom, escorted by deputy US marshals.
Combs was transported to the courthouse Friday morning from the Metropolitan Detention Center, the Brooklyn federal jail where he’s been held since his arrest in September 2024.
Combs arrived wearing a light-colored sweater over a button-down shirt and dress pants, having gotten permission by the judge to wear “non-prison clothing” as he did throughout his trial. He greeted his family, hugged his lawyers and supporters as he walked to the defense table.
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The sentencing hearing is set to begin at 10AM ET. The hearing could run into Monday, as the prosecution and defense have reportedly both prepared hours-long presentations.
It could be hours before Diddy addresses the court, CNN reported this morning. Ultimately, it’s up to the judge to decide how much time he will allocate to each side.
Combs' children arrive at court
Chance Combs, D’Lila Combs and Jessie Combs, three of Combs’ children, have arrived at the courthouse for the sentencing hearing.
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Judge Subramanian is also considering other letters submitted by some of Combs’ accusers.
A former personal assistant who said Combs raped her in 2010 asked Subramanian to deliver a sentence “that takes into account the ongoing danger my abuser poses to me, and to others.” The former assistant, who testified under the pseudonym “Mia,” is expected to speak at today’s sentencing.
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Combs' mother, Janice Combs, arrives
Combs’ mother Janice Combs has arrived at the courthouse.
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Cassie Ventura: 'I'm scared if he walks free'
The prosecution submitted several victim impact statements to the court ahead of sentencing, including one from Ventura.
“While the jury did not seem to understand or believe that I engaged in freak-offs because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the truth, and his sentence should reflect the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a victim” Ventura wrote.
“I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse, at trial” she wrote.
“If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe” she added. “I hope that your decision considers the truths at hand that the jury failed to see.”
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Combs’ defense attorney Brain Steel has arrived at the courthouse.
Gloria Allred, who represents several women who accused Combs of sexual assault, has also entered the courthouse.
“What I’d like to see today is justice for the victims” Allred said as she walked in.
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Combs pleads with judge in letter before sentencing, saying he was ‘reborn’ in jail
Sean “Diddy” Combs told a federal judge that he has experienced “a spiritual reset”, and he hoped to be released so that he can return to his children and his mother.
“The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you – I choose to live,” Combs, 55, wrote in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian.
“I no longer care about the money or the fame,” he added. “There is nothing more important to me than my family.”
Rather than make an example out of him with a lengthy sentence, Combs implored Subramanian to “make me an example of what a person can do if afforded a second chance”.
Combs wrote that, now sober, and with his mind clear of drugs and alcohol after a year in jail, he can see how rotten he had become before his September 2024 arrest.
“I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness,” he wrote.
He described “the remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame” from his behavior that has made it “so hard for me to forgive myself”.
Combs apologized to Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend he had hit, kicked and dragged at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 – an attack captured on security-camera footage shown to jurors repeatedly during his two-month trial.
“The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily,” Combs wrote. “I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be.”
After sentencing, Combs’s legal team could appeal the decision, and according to Reuters he is also expected to appeal his conviction.
Separately, Combs faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He has denied all allegations in those suits.
Supporters of Combs have appealed to the Trump administration in hopes of a presidential pardon, his lawyer confirmed.
Trump and Combs were once part of New York’s celebrity scene in the 1990s, but their relationship appeared to fizzle out after Trump entered politics. In 2020, Combs endorsed Joe Biden for president and said that if Trump were re-elected: “I really do believe in my heart there’ll be a race war.”
When asked in August about a possible pardon, Trump referred to that statement in a Newsmax interview.
“When you knew someone and you were fine,” Trump said, “and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements… so, I don’t know, it’s more difficult.”
Photos from outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in Manhattan show a huge line has formed as people have camped out for hours to try and get a spot at today’s sentencing.
Some appear to be supporters of Combs, and there are also some influencers and podcasters.
TV vans are lining the street.
A former girlfriend, R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, testified during the trial that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship.
The jury was repeatedly shown video clips of Combs dragging and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one of those multiday sexual marathons, which she referred to as “freak-offs” during her four days of testimony.
A woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane” told jurors she too was subjected to violence and felt obligated to perform sexually with male sex workers at drug-fueled “hotel nights” while Combs watched and sometimes filmed.
To support their racketeering case, prosecutors also brought on witnesses who testified about other violent acts. A former personal assistant testified that Combs raped her. One of Cassie’s friends told the jury Combs dangled her from a 17th floor balcony. The rapper Kid Cudi testified that Combs broke into his home after learning he and Cassie were dating.
Although the jury acquitted Combs of racketeering, the judge can still consider that testimony as he decides the sentence.
It has been reported that Combs intends to speak directly to the judge before the sentence is announced, despite never testifying during the trial.
In a request filed last week, his attorneys asked that he be permitted to appear in “non-prison clothing” at the proceeding, just as he had during the trial when he wore sweaters and collared shirts.
“The sentencing proceeding holds significant importance for Mr. Combs,” the letter said. “He wishes to appear before the Court, address Your Honor, and allocate in the most dignified and respectful fashion possible.”
A wide range of sentences is on the table, as both prosecution and defense have made recommendations guided by federal sentencing rules, although the final decision belongs to the judge.
The government is urging no less than 135 months behind bars – that’s 11 years and three months – calling Combs “unrepentant” and highlighting violence and intimidation that witnesses described.
Defense lawyers are pressing for no more than 14 months, which with time already served would allow Combs to leave custody by the end of 2025. They argue that his punishment has already been sufficient for what they say was consensual sex with paid “entertainers.”
Probation officials, meanwhile, calculated that the guideline range could reach up to seven years and three months.
Sean Combs to be sentenced
Sean “Diddy” Combs will appear before a federal judge in Manhattan on Friday to be sentenced following his conviction earlier this year on federal prostitution-related charges.
Following the eight-week trial concluded in July, jurors cleared Combs of the most serious accusations; sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. The jury did, however, convict him on two charges of transporting people for prostitution. Judge Arun Subramanian now holds the task of deciding the penalty. Proceedings are set to begin at 10am eastern time.
Combs was accused of pressuring two former partners into drug-laced sexual encounters involving hired escorts. A conviction on the most severe counts could have put him in prison for life.
When he was acquitted of those allegations, he dropped to his knees in prayer. His lawyer said he had “been given his life back”.
But the guilty verdicts he did receive still each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison under the Mann Act, which forbids crossing state lines to facilitate prostitution. Prosecutors describe the conduct as grave offenses, while the defense has dismissed the charges as “fallback” counts that never should have gone forward.
