Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs speaks onstage during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on May 15, 2022, in Las Vegas. Amy Sussman/Getty Images for MRC

After a verdict was reached in the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial, prosecutors and defense attorneys each stated their case for whether he should remain behind bars until sentencing.

Both sides submitted letters to the judge on Wednesday, July 2, shortly after Diddy, 55, was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and not guilty on charges of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.

Diddy’s attorneys asked for the rapper to be released following the verdict in a letter reviewed by Us Weekly.

“Since his arrest and detention on September 17, 2024, Mr. Combs has obeyed the Court, respected these proceedings and demonstrated model behavior at the MDC,” the letter read. “And today, the jury unambiguously rejected the government’s allegations that Mr. Combs ran a years-long criminal enterprise or engaged in sex trafficking — the core of the government’s case. Mr. Combs stands convicted of two Mann Act counts, and his sentencing exposure is substantially lower than when the government initially sought detention.”

Diddy’s legal team proposed a “bail package” that included a $1 million bond, travel restrictions to Florida, New York and California, the surrender of Diddy’s passport and undergoing drug testing.

The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that Diddy is “not entitled to release and his detention must be continued” pending sentencing. “The offenses of conviction constitute crimes of violence and mandate detention following the defendant’s conviction,” the government argued. “Here, the defendant has been convicted of two such crimes.”

The letter continued, “Even if detention was not mandatory here, which it is, the defendant 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.”

In a separate letter on Wednesday, Cassie’s lawyer supported the government’s argument for Diddy to remain behind bars.

“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,” wrote attorney Douglas Wigdor.

In the courtroom on Wednesday, Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo requested his client’s immediate release, telling Judge Arun Subramanian soon after the verdict was read, “His family is here and could sign a bond.”

Agnifilo asked that Diddy be allowed to return to his Miami Beach home on Star Island.

“Are you proposing he just walk outside now?” Subramanian inquired, to which Agnifilo responded, “Yes.”

“He is no longer charged with sex trafficking or racketeering,” Agnifilo reasoned. “His plane has been chartered — it is in Maui. He does not have access to his plane. This is his first conviction, and it is a prostitution offense. He should be released.”

While Agnifilo requested a $1 million bond that would allow Diddy to travel to New York, Los Angeles and Florida, prosecutor Maurene Comey opposed his release, arguing, “A person found guilty shall be detained until the judicial officer finds he is not likely to flee or be a danger.”

As Diddy awaits sentencing, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the transportation charges.

Diddy was arrested in New York in September 2024. He subsequently pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.

After his multiple attempts at bail were denied, Diddy remained behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, for nearly eight months while awaiting trial. The proceedings began on May 5, with seven weeks of testimony from witnesses such as Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, her ex Kid Cudi and Danity Kane member Dawn Richard.

The jury started their deliberations on Monday, June 30. The following day, they reached a verdict on four out of the five counts, but the group remained deadlocked on the racketeering conspiracy charge. After receiving additional instructions from the judge, the jury agreed to continue deliberating on Wednesday morning and delivered their verdict later that day.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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