By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five felony counts he faced. Here’s what’s expected to come next in the case:
COMBS’ LAWYER ASKS FOR BAIL
After the jury read its verdict, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked Subramanian to release Combs on bail, which prosecutors opposed. The judge asked lawyers for both sides to submit written arguments on whether he should release Combs by 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).
SENTENCING
Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will determine Combs’ sentence at a later date.
Before Combs is sentenced, prosecutors and defense lawyers will file written arguments advocating for the sentence they believe Combs deserves.
APPEAL
After Combs’ sentencing, his lawyers may file an appeal of both his conviction and his sentence. To succeed on appeal, the defense faces the high burden of convincing the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Subramanian made legal errors that impacted the jury’s verdict.
Any appeal may take years to play out. For example, the 2nd Circuit upheld the sex trafficking conviction and 20-year prison sentence of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on September 17, 2024, nearly three years after her conviction.
CIVIL LAWSUITS
Rhythm and blues singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a star prosecution witness, sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs settled with Ventura for $20 million. He has denied all wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York;Editing by Noeleen Walder and Nick Zieminski)
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