The jury on Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ high profile criminal trial has reached a verdict. The music mogul has been convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, which had a potential life sentence.
The question is now when he will be sentenced and for how long. After the shock verdict, which has been widely touted as a victory for Diddy’s defence team, there was a chance for the rapper to be released on bail until his sentencing.
Is Diddy being released on bail?
Judge Subramanian denied Diddy’s $1 million plea for bail and said the rapper has demonstrated a ‘disregard for the rule of law and a propensity for violence’. He will remain in custody until his sentence has been decided.
The lawyers of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend of 10 years, Cassie Ventura, also submitted a request to the judge to deny Diddy’s bail request. They also released a statement following the verdict praising Cassie’s ‘unquestionable strength’ and Diddy’s ‘misconduct’ which ‘persisted for decades without repercussions’.
What is Diddy’s prison sentence?
Despite being let off the ‘most serious’ charges, Diddy still faces up to 20 years in prison. By all accounts, as a first offender, it is unlikely he will receive the full sentence on either charge and may get a reduced sentence due to the time he has already served.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey was initially pushing for Diddy to receive the full 20-year sentence to be served in consecutive 10-year sentences. However, they have formally requested 51 to 63 months (four or five years) prison time, according to NBC News. Meanwhile Diddy’s team are seeking a prison term of 21 to 27 months and will hope to include the nine months he has already served.
When will Diddy be sentenced?
The hearing to finalise Diddy’s full sentencing schedule is arranged for Tuesday 8 July as the court is closed on 4 July due to the US public holiday. The official sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for 3 October.
Next week, Diddy’s defence team will be arguing to expedite the sentencing schedule as much as possible. However, the prosecution will argue that the complexity of the trial and the disagreements between both sides’ positions on the sentencing guidelines mean the court does not have enough information to sentence Diddy without an investigation.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering pop culture, TV, news and features.
