Sean "Diddy" Combs Court Decision: Key Details You Should Understand

Sean "Diddy" Combs is scheduled for sentencing on Friday by a federal judge in New York, after his conviction earlier this year on federal prostitution-related charges.

This article provides a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and what might happen next.

What Was He Found Guilty Of?

During July, after an eight-week trial, a panel of jurors found Combs guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering and sex trafficking, which carried the possibility of a life sentence.

The charges on which he was found guilty each have a maximum penalty of a decade. Combs had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the case, will hand down the ruling on the scheduled day, with the hearing due to begin at 10am ET in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in the previous September. Since the decision, the judge has rejected multiple bail applications from Combs’s legal team, and recently Subramanian also rejected a motion to set aside the convictions.

What Allegations Was Combs Accused Of?

Federal prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of using his power, fame, wealth and influence, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to force former partners into participating in drug-fueled sexual marathons with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the defendant as “freak-offs”, which they said Combs organized, observed, masturbated to and occasionally recorded.

The prosecution alleged that for over twenty years, Combs operated a criminal enterprise – assisted by employees and associates – to carry out and conceal offenses including sex trafficking, drug dealing, bribery and kidnapping.

Although found guilty on two counts, Combs has disputed wrongdoing. His lawyers have maintained that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no illicit organization was present.

What Happened During the Trial?

The prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – artist Cassie Ventura and a second individual who gave evidence under the pseudonym of “Jane” – who described the so-called “freak-offs” in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into taking part.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She testified that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to various forms of mistreatment and to blackmail. The jury was shown the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a corridor. Jane also testified of a physical confrontation with Combs.

Other witnesses included ex-staff, male escorts, police officers, hotel staff and public figures including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s legal team admitted past instances of abuse, but denied that any force or sex trafficking occurred. They maintained that every sexual act was agreed upon and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the sex acts.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have asked the judge for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would permit his release by year's end. They argue that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by spending over a year in the “harsh environment” at the facility.

Federal prosecutors, however, have requested a minimum of 135 months (11 years and three months) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they portrayed Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his background and behavior” demonstrate years of abuse and violence.

What Was Said In Victim Impact Statements?

The prosecution filed multiple statements from victims to the judge ahead of the sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“While the jury did not seem to grasp or accept that I participated in the events because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his punishment should reflect the reality of the testimony and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura stated.

“I am so fearful that if he walks free, his initial steps will be immediate revenge 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 those affected will never be safe,” she added. “I hope that your ruling takes into account the truths at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Happens Next?

After sentencing, Combs’s legal team could challenge the decision. Combs’s team is also expected to appeal his verdict.

Additionally, Combs faces numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of misconduct and other misconduct. He has disputed all allegations in those suits.

Dennis Carter
Dennis Carter

Zkušený novinář se zaměřením na mezinárodní události a technologické trendy.