


A judge denied Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to be let out of jail on bail Wednesday as the disgraced rapper awaits his sentencing.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled against Combs’ request for a $1 million bail. Subramanian quoted Combs’ legal defense and spoke about the rapper’s past violence against his girlfriends when delivering his ruling.
“At trial, the defense conceded defendant’s violence in personal relationships saying ‘it happened’ in relation to Cassie Venture and Jane,” Subramanian said, according to CNN. Prosecutors had argued that the rapper was a flight risk.
The judge also noted violence that took place after Combs’ homes were searched, saying of the episodes, “this highlights a disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence.”
Combs has been in jail since he was arrested in September.
Subramanian has floated an October 3 date for Combs’ sentencing hearing. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked for the hearing date to be moved up as much as possible, suggesting that, if the judge agreed, the defense would waive a pre-sentencing investigation to secure an earlier date.
A Manhattan jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution on Wednesday. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both counts related to incidents with ex-girlfriends of the rapper.
The jury acquitted Combs of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
After the verdict was delivered, Combs appeared to celebrate the jury’s decision that acquitted him on the most serious charges. He raised his hands in a prayer motion and then hugged one of his defense attorneys, Teny Geragos.
The verdict concluded a weeks-long trial in which prosecutors accused the 55-year-old rapper of coercing girlfriends to take part in drug-fueled “freak-off” parties that included rampant sexual exploitation of the women.
Combs’ defense did not deny many of the sordid details, but asserted that the activities at the parties and elsewhere were consensual.