Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail after mixed verdict clears him of top charges

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award awarded by Coke van Kanye West and Babyface on stage in the course of the 2022 Wager Awards in Microsoft Theater on 26 June 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Photographs through AFP

New York – Sean “Diddy” Combs Fell on his knees and prayed in court docket after he was acquitted on Wednesday 2 July of intercourse commerce and racketeering declarations that might have positioned one of many celebrated figures of hip hop behind bars for all times. The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution -related violations and denied bail whereas ready for the conviction.

His lawyer Marc Agnifilo known as the decision a “massive win” and mentioned that the jury “had the scenario effectively – or definitely adequate” whereas he was exterior of Manhattan Federal Courtroom at a microphones stand. “At present is a victory of all victories.”

The blended judgment has concluded a grimy authorized odyssey that crashed the pleasant “Puff Daddy” picture of Combs and his profession derailed as a Grammy-winning artist and music supervisor, vogue entrepreneur, model ambassador and actuality TV star.

“I see you once I get out,” Combs instructed members of the family, together with his mom and youngsters, simply earlier than they left the courtroom to return to jail. “We’re going by this.”

Combs has been convicted of two counts of a criminal offense – transport to enter into prostitution – which entails a most punishment of 10 years in jail. However jury members free him from three fees, two of which wore a compulsory 15 years and a most of life.

He was convicted of flying folks all through the nation, together with his girlfriends and male intercourse staff, to enter into sexual encounters, a criminal offense violation of the Federal Mann Act.

After the conviction of Diddy, his enterprise firms are right here.

Combs’s attorneys mentioned that in line with the rules of the federal conviction he would most likely be confronted in jail for about two years. Prosecutors, who quoted the violence of combs and different components, mentioned the rules would ask for no less than 4 to 5 years. Since his arrest in September, Combs has served for 9 months.

“We’re combating additional and we’ll win,” mentioned Agnifilo. “And we’re not going to cease till he walks a free man from jail for his household.”

On this courtroom, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo, left, addresses the decide, whereas Combs, second from the precise, within the jail uniform, seems to be throughout a listening to within the federal court docket in New York, Thursday 10 October 2024. The brand new protection lawyer, Anthony Ricco, is possession. (Elizabeth Williams through AP)

Acquittal on probably the most severe fees

In a triumph for combs, the jury of eight males and 4 girls acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and intercourse commerce in reference to allegations that he used his cash, energy and scary bodily energy to govern girlfriends in a whole lot of drug -driven intercourse marathons with males.

The Combs protection workforce argued that the ladies have been prepared contributors and that none of his violence justified the seriousness of the costs.

Agnifilo requested that combs would instantly be launched for bond to attend for the conviction, and mentioned that the acquittal modified the calculus about whether or not he must be held.

“He isn’t going to flee. He has given again his life,” mentioned Agnifilo.

Choose Arun Subramanian denied it and mentioned that Combs – for now – had not happy the burden of displaying clear and convincing proof a “lack of hazard to an individual or the group”.

Combs, 55, was stoic when he heard the choice of the bond, then broke his head to Agnifilo and wrote numerous notes whereas the lawyer spoke. Finally Combs raised his hand and waved to draw the precise’s consideration. However he did not converse after session with Agnifilo.

Sean Combs arrives on Saturday, January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California within the Beverly Hilton Resort within the Beverly Hilton Resort within the Beverly Hilton Resort. (Picture by Mark von Holden/Invision/AP, File)

He left the courtroom for the final time and paused to handle members of the family in Rijen Houten Banks who supported him in the course of the eight -week trial.

“Be sturdy. I really like you,” he added, put his arms on his lips and pushed a dramatic kiss to family members.

Earlier within the day, when he heard the jury for particular person saying “not responsible” thrice, Combs pumped his fist, regarded on the jury members and held his arms up in a prayer motion. Proponents within the viewers may hardly management their exemption, regardless of the warning from the decide to stop eruptions: when the primary “not responsible” was learn aloud, somebody shouted: “Sure!”

The decide will determine the punishment of Combs and introduced as a conviction date on 3 October, however a request for protection to have him earlier introduced in a digital listening to on Tuesday.

Judgment follows weeks of poignant testimony

Federal officers who have been concerned within the case responded to the result by noting that intercourse crimes ‘are all too current in lots of facets of our society’.

“New Yorkers and all Individuals need this scourge to cease and perpetrators,” mentioned American lawyer Jay Clayton and Ricky J. Patel, who results in the workplace of Federal Homeland Safety Investigations in New York, mentioned in a press release.

Jury members consulted about 13 hours for 3 days earlier than they introduced their judgment. It got here after they mentioned on Tuesday on the finish of Tuesday that that they had determined 4 counts, however have been caught with the racketeering. At the moment, the decide instructed them to proceed to deliberate and to carry the partial verdict beneath wraps.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs presents the prize for the most effective hip -hop video in the course of the MTV Video Music Awards in Madison Sq. Backyard on Sunday 28 August 2016 in New York. Picture: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Combs didn’t testify throughout his trial, with 34 witnesses and video of the rapper who attacked his former girlfriend Cassie, the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura.

Her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, mentioned in a press release after the decision that “by rising together with her expertise, Cassie has left an indelible stamp on each the leisure business and the wrestle for justice.”

Later he requested the decide in a letter to disclaim Combs Bureau and mentioned: “Mrs. Ventura believes that Mr Combs will most likely pose a hazard to the victims who on this case, together with themselves, and for the group.”

Cassie testified for 4 days about her turbulent, 11-year-old relationship with Combs, who began after she had signed together with his document label from Dangerous Boy.

Cassie mentioned that combs grew to become obsessive about voyeuristic encounters, organized with the assistance of his employees, involving intercourse staff and ample quantities of child oil. In the course of the intercourse occasions, known as “Freak-Offs” or “Resort Nights”, Combs Cassie would instruct issues to do issues with different males she discovered humiliating, she testified.

If it did not go the way in which of Combs, he would beat her, she mentioned.

One other ex-girlfriend, who testifies beneath the pseudonym ‘Jane’, the jury instructed that she repeatedly instructed Combs that she didn’t need intercourse with the lads employed for his or her Trysts.

“I’m not an animal. I would like a break,” she instructed him. Nonetheless, she mentioned, she felt ‘obliged’ to fulfill his necessities, partly as a result of he paid her hire.

The AP often doesn’t point out individuals who say they’ve been sexually abused, until they’re publicly rising, comparable to Cassie.

Protection calls a case an invasion of privateness

Essentially the most well-known witness of the method, rapper Child Cudi, mentioned that Combs broke into his home on the finish of 2011 after he heard that he and Cassie have been courting. After his automobile was bombed a couple of weeks later, Cudi – whose actual identify is Scott Mescudi – mentioned that he knew that combs “had one thing to do”. Combs denied it.

The Combs protection workforce acknowledged that he might be violent, however argued that prosecutors invade his private life. In last remarks for the jury, Agnifilo mentioned that it was not unlawful for combs to make ‘do-it-yourself porn’ with pals.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs takes half within the “The 4” panel in the course of the Fox Tv Critics Affiliation Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California, January 4, 2018. A former mannequin accused of Sexual Abuse of her in his new York Metropolis Recording studio in a court docket case in opposition to the Hiphop, 2024, Picture: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File

Rapper, entrepreneur and legal suspect

Combs stood in the course of the hip-hop fights of the Oostkust-Westkust of the nineties and have become some of the influential hip-hop producers and managers of the previous three many years, and diversified his pursuits with the Sean John Vogue Label, Ciroc Vodka, a cable TV canal and a cable-TV canal and a cable-TV canal and an cable-TV canal and an cable-TV canal and an cable-TV canal and an cable-TV canal and a canal canal and a cantaanal and a cable-tv-channel and a canaal canal and tv-studio.

In 2001 he was within the middle of one of many largest hip -hop assessments of his period, because of a nightclub in Manhattan who injured three folks in 1999. Combs was acquitted of accusations that he took an unlawful gun within the membership and tried to purchase his driver to take the autumn.

His profession recovered shortly.

The popularity of Combs could have suffered irreparable harm, however after Cassie sued him in November 2023, it claimed years of sexual and bodily abuse. He settled for $ 20 million the following day, however extra lawsuits of different ladies and men adopted.

Most are nonetheless being handled. /RA