Guilty — And Not Guilty - Trial By Jury: Diddy - Podcast on CNN Podcasts

CNN

2 days ago

Laura Coates
00:00:04
Okay folks, I'm sharing this update from outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, which is why it's kind of noisy, but we want to get you the latest. The jury in the Sean Diddy Combs trial reached a verdict this morning. They acquitted Combs of the two most serious charges he was facing, racketeering conspiracy — that's the RICO charge you heard about — and two counts of sex trafficking. He was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. That means he could face up to 10 years or maybe even 20 in prison if they run that consecutively. But a RICO conviction? That could have put him away for life. I'm Laura Coates, and this is Trial by Jury. I mean the scenes that are unfolding outside this courthouse, quite stark from the composed very, very quiet courtrooms that we've been in for the last seven weeks. There are crowds out here, either jubilant or upset, and the court of public opinion on full display. But we want to get you the latest. Because just a couple of hours ago, the jury foreman stood in the courtroom and read off the following: On the count of racketeering conspiracy, not guilty. On the count sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion pertaining to Cassie Ventura, not guilty. On the count of transportation to engage in prostitution pertaining to Cassie Ventura, guilty. On the count of sex trafficking pertaining to Jane, not guilty. On the count of transportation to engage in prostitution pertaining to Jane, guilty. Now those two guilty charges on transportation to engage in prostitution, those are what's known as the Mann Act, and that essentially prohibits anyone from crossing state lines for the purpose of engaging in a commercial sex act. But those were the two lesser charges that Diddy faced. The really big headline here is that he was cleared of the RICO and sex trafficking charges, each of which could carry a maximum sentence of either life in prison and, in one instance for sex trafficking, even 15 years. Now here's what went down after the verdicts were read. First of all, when we learned there was yet another note, they weren't quite sure, was it a note for further clarification? Remember, it hadn't even been 12 hours before that the jury was hung on that first count, and the judge told them to go back and deliberate more. Both the defense wanted that, and the prosecution wanted that, and deliberate they did. This time it wasn't another hung jury. Within an hour of coming back to the deliberation room, they had made up for the hung jury and decided to have a verdict instead, not on four out of five, but on all five counts. Now this was huge given the fact that they thought there may have been a hung jury, and the tension was thick. You had the attorneys for Sean Diddy Combs surrounding him. There were looks of fear, I've been told, and unease. The children, adult children, filtering into the courtroom, along with Sean Diddy Combs's mother, who had been there for the better part of almost two months. The last time they had communicated, we saw them in the court saying to his mother, I'm gonna be alright. Well then, there was the moment when the verdict was read, and a bit of a fist pump from Sean "Diddy" Combs, the bowing of the head, the kneeling almost as if in prayer, and an eruption of celebration by the family members in the courtroom. This was in stark contrast to the last two months where frankly they were all quite stoic, albeit at times emotional. Well hearing that, the defense attorneys immediately went to try to get him released pending sentencing. Now obviously there were two letters that were sent as well from the prosecution and the defense laying out their positions, not the least of which included the conditions of release, meaning he'd turn over his passport. He wouldn't have access to a plane. You'd know who he was staying with. He couldn't commit other crimes, drug testing. It's up to the judge to decide whether or not he is a threat to society or anyone else. We also got a statement from the attorney for Cassie Ventura about this notion of whether Sean should be released, say, 'Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself as well as to the community." After, you also heard from Deonte Nash, a witness and personal friend and stylist of Cassie Ventura, who expressed his own concerns. We're going to be back soon with more details. The possibility that Sean "Diddy" Combs could possibly walk out the front door of the courthouse pending his sentencing, many are surprised.