Diddy Verdict: Not Guilty of Racketeering, Convicted of Prostitution

We heard details that should horrify any normal human being — and it was all an open secret. Then, the jury found him not guilty on the most serious charges, writes Holly Baxter

Anna Cominsky, an Associate Professor of Law and the Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at New York Law School, said: “This trial was a major gamble and Combs won that bet.

“Everything is stacked against the defendant going into a federal case, in particular one like this.

“His attorneys were smart and they owned the bad facts. They fought on the things that mattered and it paid off.”

Cominsky has provided expert analysis on a wide range of high-profile criminal cases, including then-candidate Donald Trump’s criminal trial, Luigi Mangione’s murder trial, and Harvey Weinstein’s retrial.

In their letter arguing against Diddy’s release, prosecutors included a note from Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and a friend of Cassie Ventura who testified during Combs’ trial, who expressed “grave concern.”

“While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,” Nash wrote.

“Mr. Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior. Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity.

The note added: “If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.”

The Independent understands that the bail conference, in which it will be decided whether Sean “Diddy” Combs should be released pending his sentencing, will now take place at 5 p.m. ET.

Rightwing firebrand Megyn Kelly blasted the verdict in the Diddy trial as “f****** ridiculous” after learning about the result.

“Oh, it’s all just so chummy inside the courtroom for this disgusting pervert, female abuser who I can’t believe is about to roam our streets again,” she said, speaking on her show on SiriusXM Wednesday.

“I’m sorry, I’m disgusted by this verdict. This is fucking ridiculous! I just find it absolutely outrageous the amount of crime that this guy just got away with.”

In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Diddy’s lawyers argued that – following his acquittal on RICO conspiracy and sex trafficking counts – his continued detention would be “inappropriate.”

“As these proceedings have demonstrated, and as we told the Court from the outset of this case, Mr. Combs came to New York to surrender in order to defend against the government’s charges because he was “committed to showing his innocence,’” the letter stated.

“Since his arrest and detention on September 17, 2024, Mr. Combs has obeyed the Court, respected these proceedings, and demonstrated model behavior at the MDC.

“And today, the jury unambiguously rejected the government’s allegations that Mr. Combs ran a years-long criminal enterprise or engaged in sex trafficking—the core of the government’s case.

“Mr. Combs stands convicted of two Mann Act counts, and his sentencing exposure is substantially lower than when the government initially sought detention. The Court should release Mr. Combs on the proposed conditions.”