The music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking a judge to free him on a $50m bond while he awaits sentencing in October after a jury found him not guilty of the most serious federal charges he faced earlier this month.
In a court filing on Tuesday, Combs’s lawyer argued that conditions at the Metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn were dangerous, noting that others convicted of similar prostitution-related offenses were typically released before sentencing.
“Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,” Marc Agnifilo said. “In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john, and certainly the only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend.”
A spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors have previously insisted he remains a flight risk.
Combs, 55, faces up to a decade in prison on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters. A conviction on racketeering conspiracy or sex trafficking could have put one of hip-hop’s celebrated figures in prison for life.
Immediately after Combs was acquitted on 2 July, Agnifilo had asked that he be released on bond.
But Judge Arun Subramanian denied it, saying Combs at the time had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community”.
Max sentence of 10 years, yes, but the idea that he’ll get that…..time served perhaps?
And that burden of proof there, rather a reversal, no? He’s got to prove he’s safe?
It’s as if, you know, someone’s got it in for him?
What an utter balls up this has been. Anywhere but New York, DAs’ heads would have rolled for this debacle.
All that comes out of this, is that P Diddy is a bit louche and his girlfriends are a bit thick.
As to proving he is safe in the community, well he is now a felon. He might go about knocking off liquor stores.
– It’s as if, you know, someone’s got it in for him?
I do wonder if they’re clinging to this because this is all they’ve got when they “know” he’s guilty of something worse that they can’t get him for. Bit like Al Capone getting done for tax evasion.
Not saying this person is guilty of such, just that maybe the prosecutors believe he is. Of course, that behoves them to get things right on what they have- and if they fuck up their case then the defendant should walk.
“And that burden of proof there, rather a reversal, no? He’s got to prove he’s safe?”
The thing is, he’s been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. So when that happens, yeah, suddenly the burden of proof flips.
At that point it’s entirely conceivable that he will do a runner like Roman Polanski.
Yeah, not a danger. But he’s certainly likely to run. And that’s likely the real reason the judge isn’t allowing bail.
Pointing to other people who were bailed while awaiting sentencing doesn’t do anything. They really shouldn’t have been let out. As shown by the number who do abscond in those circumstances.