Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team is again arguing for his release from federal prison, nearly two months after the embattled music mogul was acquitted of the most serious charges in his federal sex-crimes trial.
According to legal documents reviewed by USA TODAY, Combs’ lawyers asked Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday, July 29, to release Combs on a $50 million bond and allow him to live in his Miami mansion — instead of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn — as he awaits sentencing in October.
Though the 12-person jury on July 2 convicted the Bad Boy Records founder on the two more minor counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, jurors found Combs not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in his sweeping, nearly two-month trial.
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The two guilty counts — which concern his relationships with ex-girlfriends Casandra Ventura Fine and an anonymous “Jane” — carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Prosecutors, though, have signaled that Combs himself may face a lesser time due to federal sentencing guidelines.
After the jury’s verdict, Subramanian denied bail for Combs and ordered for him to remain in jail, suggesting a sentencing hearing in October but left the door open for an expedited court date.
“It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger,” Subramanian previously said. Combs has been jailed since his September arrest and has maintained his innocence, previously pleading not guilty to all charges.
In a post-verdict hearing, Subramanian explained that Jane’s testimony, in which she alleged Combs choked and dragged her during an argument in June 2024 (even as Combs was aware of the active federal investigation into his conduct), played into his decision.
He also noted that Combs’ team admitted that “we own the domestic violence,” regarding Ventura Fine’s longstanding allegations of long-term abuse, first detailed in a November 2023 civil lawsuit.
In court, lawyers for Combs argued that he was responsible for physical abuse towards romantic partners, but not guilty of federal crimes such as sex trafficking. His legal team asserted their client did engage in violent acts towards Ventura Fine, but the “Me & U” hitmaker was a willing sexual partner and participant in hourslong sex sessions dubbed “freak offs.”
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, KiMi Robinson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy walking free? Lawyers seek release again before sentencing
