Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs awaits bail decision after jury convicts him of two charges but acquits him of most serious claims – live | US news

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been brought in, now they are waiting on the judge.

Anna Betts

Combs hasn’t entered the courtroom yet, but his lawyers and family are there.

Anna Betts

Another van just pulled up and Combs’s mother, Janice, has just exited with Combs’s sons. They are walking into the courthouse right now.

Anna Betts

Members of Combs’s family, including his children, and some of his friends have just walked back into the courthouse.

Anna Betts

Outside the courthouse there are over 100 members of the press awaiting the bail hearing. There are also several dozen supporters of Combs.

You can read the letter here.

CNN has more details on the defense’s bail request which proposes a set of circumstances under which Combs would be released while awaiting sentencing.

The letter submitted by Combs’s defense team to the judge argues that, since he faces a lighter sentence than he would have if he had been convicted of the more serious counts, he should be released with conditions.

It proposes:

• A $1m bond, co-signed by Combs, his mother, sister and the mother of his oldest daughter;

• Combs’s travel be restricted to parts of Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. (Combs has homes in Florida and California, and the latter two states would cover visits with attorneys and attendance in court);

• The surrender of Combs’ passport;

• Drug testing by pretrial services;

• “All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision.”

Anna Betts

Outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, dozens of Combs’s supporters gathered after the verdict was delivered. Many chanted his name and cheered as several members of his family exited the building following the announcement.

“Let Puffy go!” some supporters chanted, putting heir fists in the air. “Not guilty!” others shouted.

Music filled the air as supporters played Diddy Free, a track released during closing arguments on Friday by one of Combs’s sons, King Combs, and Ye, formerly Kanye West, who briefly came to support Combs in court during the trial.

The crowd outside the courthouse danced and celebrated, with some handing out bottles of baby oil and lathering themselves in it.

By early afternoon, as the crowd outside the courthouse began to grow, the New York police department increased their presence outside the courthouse.

One supporter was seen holding a Sean John T-shirt, a company created by Combs, while others wore T-shirts that read “Freako is not a Rico”.

While we await the 5pm ET bail hearing, a brief recap.

Combs has been cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offenses.

The verdict is a blow to prosecutors who said the music mogul used “violence and fear” to abuse women, and overall a win for the disgraced star.

The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners – Cassie and a woman known in court as “Jane”.

Outside the courthouse, dozens of Combs’s supporters are still playing music and awaiting the 5pm ET bail hearing.

In a letter to the judge, the prosecution says that the sentencing guidelines range from 51 to 63 months in jail, which is between four and five years, despite previously saying that they would be seeking the maximum 20 years.

“Based only on the preliminary calculations set forth above, the defendant’s guidelines range is at least 51 to 63 months’ imprisonment,” the letter, which is arguing that he should not be released on bail, reads.

Anna Betts

The lawyer representing Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the government’s key witness in this case and Combs’s former girlfriend, has submitted a letter to the court opposing that Combs be released on bail.

“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,” the letter reads.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking but found guilty of two lesser counts of transportation to engage in prostitution relating to Casandra Ventura and a woman named only as “Jane”.

Here is a summary of the key moments of the day:

• A jury of eight men and four women returned their verdict on all five counts in the case on Wednesday, after being told to keep deliberating following a partial verdict on Tuesday.

• They found Combs NOT GUILTY of racketeering conspiracy; NOT GUILTY of the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura; NOT GUILTY of the sex trafficking of “Jane”; GUILTY of the transportation to engage in prostitution, related to Casandra Ventura and GUILTY of the transportation to engage in prostitution related to “Jane”.

• Combs faces up to 20 years in prison for the two charges he’s been convicted of. The prosecution said it would seek the maximum sentence. Each count carries up to 10 years.

• The defense has asked the court that Combs be released from federal detention after being held since September 2024.

• Family and fans of the music mogul embraced in the courtroom. One friend said the verdict moved him to tears.

• Combs himself was seen kneeling on the ground with his head and arms on his seat after the verdict. “I’m gonna be home soon,” Combs said, smiling and clasping his hands. “I love you. Thank you, I love you.”

• The streets outside the courtroom in lower Manhattan were packed with supporters and critics of the star. NYPD officers put up barricades as the crowd was expected to keep growing throughout the day.

• The judge, Arun Subramanian, adjourned court until 5pm ET while he decides whether to release Combs on bail. There is no date yet for sentencing.

• The attorney for Cassie Ventura, Doug Wigdor, said outside the courthouse that his team is pleased that Sean “Diddy” Combs has “finally been held accountable”. “Of course, we would have liked to have seen a conviction on the sex crimes and Rico, but we understand that ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ is a high standard,” he said. “We’re just pleased he still faces substantial jail time.”

The judge has paused proceedings for the next three hours and told the parties to reconvene at 5pm ET.

Here’s more from the letter as we await the judge’s ruling on whether to release Combs:

Since his arrest and detention on September 17, 2024, Mr Combs has obeyed the court, respected these processings and demonstrated model behavior at the [court].

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.

The court should release Mr Combs on the proposed conditions.

The judge earlier gave the defence and prosecution a 1pm ET deadline to submit letters arguing their case on whether to release Combs on bail or not.

The six-page lawyer from Combs’s defence team has just been docketed. In it, the music mogul’s team argue that detaining Combs further would be “inappropriate”, citing “the jury’s clear verdict acquitting Mr Combs of the Rico conspiracy and sex-trafficking counts”.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’s close friend Charlie Lucci spoke to reporters outside court and told them he cried at the verdict and that jurors “got it right”.

Lucci said: “Everybody’s just happy that the jury’s got it right. It restores faith back into the justice system.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs dropped to his knees after the verdict was announced, courtroom sketches suggest.

The artist impressions show Combs putting his head on his chair and looking emotional. Other images show Combs putting his hands in prayer while looking up as well as leading his family in a prayer before the verdict was read out.