Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain detained after a jury found him guilty Wednesday of transportation to engage in prostitution in his high-profile trial in New York City. The music mogul was acquitted of the more severe charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Judge Arun Subramanian said he denied bail for Combs because he disagreed with the defense’s argument that the crimes shouldn’t trigger mandatory detention.
Following the seven-week jury trial, Combs’ attorneys moved to have him released from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where he was held during the trial. They argued that the 55-year-old had been acquitted of the most serious charges and “continued detention of Mr. Combs is inappropriate.”
The defense said Combs should be able to return to his Miami home, emphasizing that this was his first conviction. In a filing submitted to the judge on Wednesday, Combs’ legal team said he came to New York to surrender because he was “committed to showing his innocence” and that Combs should be released pending sentencing.
The attorneys cited conditions under the Bail Reform Act that states “a defendant who has been found guilty of an offense is entitled to release pending sentencing if the Court finds by ‘clear and convincing evidence’ that he ‘is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if released.'”
Federal prosecutors, however, argued the Bail Reform Act dictates that Combs should remain in custody.
In their filing to the judge, prosecutors said the crimes Combs was convicted of “constitute crimes of violence and mandate detention following the defendant’s conviction.”
“As detention is mandatory following a conviction of a Mann Act offense, the Government has been unable to locate a case in which a defendant was released from custody following such a conviction,” prosecutors said.
Combs was convicted of two counts of prostitution-related charges. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said their preliminary calculations indicate Combs should get at least 51 to 63 months imprisonment on the two convictions, or a sentence of roughly four to five years.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Alice Gainer
contributed to this report.
