Attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs have asked a United States federal judge to release him from custody on a $50 million secured bond, grounded against his Miami property, while he awaits sentencing on 3 October.
The motion follows a split verdict in his sex crimes trial: Combs was found not guilty on the most serious charges (sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy) but was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act.
In the filing, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo argues that Combs has endured an unusually harsh detention since his arrest in September 2024, claiming Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn has dangerous conditions, including lockdowns, violence and fights within his housing unit.
He says that defendants convicted of similar offences are normally released before sentencing, and emphasises that Combs did not profit financially from the acts in question. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john."
Previously, US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied bail immediately after the verdict, citing trial evidence of Combs's violent behaviour toward former partners and concerns about public safety and witness tampering.
Combs is 55 years old and the founder of Bad Boy Records. Prosecutors alleged he coerced two former girlfriends into multi-day, drug-fuelled sexual performances involving male escorts, using threats and influence tied to his business empire. Combs has maintained the encounters were consensual.
The two convictions he received each carry a statutory maximum of ten years. Prosecutors say sentencing guidelines call for a term between 51 and 63 months, while the defence has proposed a sentence more in line with federal guidelines, about 21 to 27 months or time served.
Defence counsel propose exceptional circumstances for Combs’s release, namely nearly ten months in MDC since late 2024 amid reported violence and unsanitary issues. They contend his safety is at risk and cite precedent where courts have withheld incarceration pending sentencing in similar cases. The Bureau of Prisons has acknowledged ongoing problems at MDC and said it is making intensive efforts to improve conditions.
Legal experts say Judge Subramanian will weigh these arguments against concerns over Combs’s history of violence, possible risk of flight and respect for the judicial process, all of which were cited in earlier bail denials.
Source: Reuters
