A U.S. judge in the criminal trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy” Combs’ has declined to grant him bail, citing the absence of "exceptional reasons" to release him prior to his October sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian of the Southern District of New York ruled Monday that Combs "fails to satisfy his burden to demonstrate an entitlement to release.”
Subramanian said Combs failed to provide sufficient evidence to overcome concerns that he poses a flight risk and rejected Combs’ claim that the poor and dangerous conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center justified his release.
"The public outcry concerning these conditions has come from all corners,” Subramanian said. "But as Combs acknowledges, MDC staff has been able to keep him safe and attend to his needs, even during an incident of threatened violence from an inmate.”
Combs’ attorneys had proposed releasing their client, who was convicted last month on transportation to engage in prostitution, on a $50 million bond secured by his Miami home, stating that he would only travel between Florida and New York to meet with his lawyers.
Rejecting the proposed bail package, the judge said Combs’ release would put his accusers at risk and that his history of drug use made him untrustworthy.
Last month, a jury convicted Combs on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him of more serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which could have resulted in decades or life imprisonment.
Combs has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center for 11 months. Combs’ attorneys have made multiple attempts to secure his release from the detention center since his conviction. He faces sentencing on Oct. 3, with a possible prison term of up to 10 years for each count.
