What's next for Sean 'Diddy' Combs after his sex trafficking trial?

Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five felony counts he faced. Here's what's expected to come next in the case:

Combs' lawyer asks for bail

After the jury read its verdict, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked Subramanian to release Combs on bail, which prosecutors opposed. A hearing is scheduled for 5pm EDT (21:00 GMT).

Sentencing

Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. US District Judge Arun Subramanian will determine Combs' sentence at a later date.

Before Combs is sentenced, prosecutors and defence lawyers will file written arguments advocating for the sentence they believe Combs deserves.

Appeal

After Combs' sentencing, his lawyers may file an appeal of both his conviction and his sentence. To succeed on appeal, the defence faces the high burden of convincing the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals that Subramanian made legal errors that impacted the jury's verdict.

Any appeal may take years to play out. For example, the 2nd Circuit upheld the sex trafficking conviction and 20-year prison sentence of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on September 17th, 2024, nearly three years after her conviction.

Civil lawsuits

Rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, a star prosecution witness, sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs settled with Ventura for $20 million. He has denied all wrongdoing.