Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorney is asking for his immediate release after the mogul was acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
“His family is here and could sign a bond,” Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo told Judge Arun Subramanian on Wednesday, July 2. “He should be released today.”
Agnifilo asked that Diddy, 55, be allowed to return to his Miami Beach home on Star Island.
When Subramanian asked, “Are you proposing he just walk outside now?” Agnifilo said, “Yes.”
“He is no longer charged with sex trafficking or racketeering,” Agnifilo said. “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.”
Agnifilo requested a $1 million bond that would allow Diddy to travel to New York, Los Angeles and Florida.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey said, “The U.S. opposes his release.”
“A person found guilty shall be detained until the judicial officer finds he is not likely to flee or be a danger,” Comey argued.
Subramanian said he needed “to address a few matters with the lawyer.”
“I am not going to resolve this this second,” the judge added. “I need to review the statutes.”
Attorneys from both sides have until 1 p.m. ET to submit letters about Diddy’s potential release.
Subramanian left the courtroom, which resulted in clapping and cheering from the gallery in the courtroom. Diddy was then led back to his holding cell.
While he was acquitted on the racketeering and sex trafficking charges, Diddy was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail. The 12-person jury — consisting of eight men and four women — began their deliberations on Monday, June 30.
After the verdict was read, Judge Subramanian issued a warning about approaching the jury members for comment.
“I ask the media not to question jurors about their deliberations,” Subramanian said. “Jurors, you can contact our chambers. You gave up a lot, these 10 weeks. It is inspiring. You worked together, rain or shine. You answered the call of public service, that should give us hope.”
Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges lobbied against him after his September 2024 arrest in New York City and has denied all of the allegations.
Multiple people have accused Diddy of sexual assault and sex trafficking, beginning with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Ventura, 38, testified in May as a key witness for the prosecution.
In a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, Ventura’s attorney Douglas H. Wigdor reacted to the Diddy verdict.
“This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” Wigdor said. “Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
The statement continued, “We must repeat — with no reservation — that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.”
Diddy’s arrest came nearly one year after Ventura filed a lawsuit against him accusing him of sexual and physical abuse throughout their relationship, which lasted off and on from 2007 to 2018. The mogul denied her claims in a statement shared by his attorney.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Diddy’s lawyer Ben Brafman said at the time.
One day after the suit was filed, Diddy and Ventura settled out of court. In May 2024, CNN published a hotel surveillance video of Diddy kicking and grabbing Cassie in 2016. He later apologized for his actions in a video shared via Instagram.
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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