Judge Subramaniam reportedly confirms sentencing date for Diddy after partial verdict

Following a partial verdict in his highly publicized trial, Sean "Diddy" Combs' sentencing date has been confirmed.

Us Weekly has reported that in a remote hearing held at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 8, Judge Arun Subramanian heard a proposal from both prosecutors and the defendant, Diddy's legal team, to have the sentencing done on October 3, as originally proposed by the judge. He has since agreed, BBC reported.

“The parties have met and conferred and have agreed to the following schedules for sentencing,” a court document stated, per Us Weekly.

Just last week, a jury found Diddy guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each count carries a maximum penalty of a decade in prison. However, he was let go of charges that could have landed him behind bars for life, including racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Diddy had previously pleaded not guilty to charges levied against him.

Everything we know about what Diddy's sentencing could look like as experts weigh in

A live feed from the courtroom being broadcast by BBC states that prosecutors are looking to sentence Diddy behind bars for five years, though his lawyers are pushing for 21 to 27 months.

The rapper has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since he was arrested last year in September. Per the outlet, any sentencing rendered is likely to take into account the 10 months he has already spent behind bars.

Ahead of the sentencing date being decided, ABC News reported that the defense argued last week in court that Combs' “exceptional circumstances” was reason enough for an expedited sentencing hearing.

“The mother of some of his children had passed away many years ago. These kids, the two daughters here sitting in the middle of your honor's second row, don't have a parent,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, referring to the late Kim Porter, who died in 2018.

However, prosecutor Maurene Comey pushed back:

“The only things exceptional about this defendant are his wealth, his violence, and his brazenness." She also asserted that the government is looking to pursue “significant incarceration” for Diddy on charges relating to prostitution.

At the time, Agnifilio also moved for the rapper to be let go immediately following the verdict, though the presiding judge shot down this motion. Shortly after Diddy's trial, a press conference was held outside the court, where Diddy's other attorney, Teny Geragos, asserted his innocence:

“Sean Combs has not sexually assaulted anybody, I’ve been saying this for months. We’ve said this with each lawsuit that came out, and today that was proven true.”

Agnifilo chimed in, “Today’s a great victory,” he said. “It’s a great victory for Sean Combs, it’s a great victory for the jury system.” He added, “We are not nearly done fighting. We are just getting started.”

Ahead of today's hearing, Robert Shapiro, O.J. Simpson's lawyer in his infamous murder trial, spoke to Fox News about what Diddy's sentencing could look like:

"I have to look into a crystal ball. And this is going to be a call that only one person is going to make," he told the outlet. "Many times we will rely on a probation report or a pre-sentence report where they calculate the guidelines."

Shapiro said that judges are likely to follow these guidelines, which means that Diddy's case is likely to bear 2.5-3.5 years behind bars.

"Whether or not he had a criminal history, I don't know. That could raise it," he explained. "But, having said that and having seen that this judge did not release him on bail, I think a message may be coming that you're going to be spending a lot more time, so no reason to let you come out and come back in."

However, there is a chance the sentencing may be more substantial—if Judge Arun Subramaniam took into consideration the 2016 hotel surveillance video of Diddy beating his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.

"If the judge looks at that tape in his mind and is reminded about it again… I think there is a real chance that a substantial sentence will be forthcoming."

Mark Chutkow, a former federal prosecutor with no ties to the rapper's case, also gave his opinion to Us Weekly.

“The prostitution charges were the least serious of the counts in the indictment,” he said. “While each has a 10-year statutory maximum, which could be imposed consecutively for a possible 20-year sentence, it is unlikely that the court would impose such a high sentence given the acquittal on the more serious charges. When imposing a sentence, the court will consider the fact that the prostitution charges did not involve a criminal enterprise nor allegations of force, fraud or coercion.”

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more.

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