Jury reaches verdict on four out of five counts in Sean ‘Diddy' Combs sex trial
Judge Arun Subramanian said he had received a note at 4.05pm indicating the jury had reached a partial verdict. The note said the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge because there were jurors with 'unpersuadable views' on both sides.
Judge Subramanian noted that juries had a right to deliver a partial verdict, but he said that given that deliberations had only started on Monday, he would rather they continued for now. The jury was eventually dismissed for the day.
Combs' lawyers surrounded him at the defence table soon after the note was sent to the court. The hip-hop mogul appeared morose as they explained to him what was happening.
At one point, lead defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo stepped away from the huddle, returned with a piece of paper and handed it to Combs, who read it solemnly.
Meanwhile, prosecutors were at their table glued to their phones and laptop computers.
Assistant US attorney Maurene Comey suggested the judge give the jury a modified version of what is known as an Allen charge — instructions encouraging them to keep deliberating after reaching an impasse.
Racketeering conspiracy — count one on the jury's verdict sheet — is the most complicated of the charges against Combs because it requires the jury to decide not only whether he ran a 'racketeering enterprise', but also whether he was involved in committing some or all of various types of offences, such as kidnapping and arson.
The charge falls under Rico — the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act — which is best known for being used in organised crime and drug cartel cases.
The jury has been deliberating since Monday. Earlier on Tuesday they asked to review critical testimony from one of the prosecution's most important witnesses: the hip-hop mogul's former longtime girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura.
Jurors requested the testimony about 75 minutes into their second day of weighing charges that Combs used his fame, wealth and violence to force two girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers known as 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights'.
The panel of eight men and four women asked for Ms Ventura's account of Combs beating, kicking and dragging her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 — an assault captured on now-infamous security camera footage.
They also asked to see Ms Ventura's testimony about an incident in which she said Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off of their yacht at the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2013. On their way back to the US, she said, he threatened to release explicit videos of her having sex.
The jury's testimony request came soon after Combs' lawyers and prosecutors began the day haggling with Judge Subramanian over a jury question left over from the end of the first day of deliberations on Monday.
Jurors wanted clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge that will help determine whether Combs can be convicted or exonerated on the count.
Judge Subramanian said he would remind jurors of the instructions he gave them on that part of the case before they started deliberating on Monday.
Combs' lawyers had pushed for a more expansive response, but prosecutors argued — and Judge Subramanian agreed — that doing so could end up confusing jurors more.
On Monday, the panel deliberated for more than five hours without reaching a verdict.
Defence lawyers contend that prosecutors are trying to criminalise Combs' swinger lifestyle and that, if anything, his conduct amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies.
Combs, 55, could face 15 years in prison to life behind bars if he is convicted of all charges.
After pleading not guilty, Combs chose not to testify as his lawyers built their arguments for acquittal mostly through lengthy cross-examinations of dozens of witnesses called by prosecutors, including some of Combs' former employees who took the witness stand reluctantly only after being granted immunity.
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Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges
The mixed result came on the third day of deliberations. It could still send Combs, 55, to prison, for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hitmaking music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends, and paid male sex workers to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fuelled sex marathons with the men. Combs and his defence team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges. The jury foreperson confirmed the verdict reached was unanimous. After they read the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looking at the jury, and hugged his defence lawyer Teny Geragos. After the verdict was read, the judge gave the jury guidance on speaking about the case to the media, to the public and more. Combs continuing to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. Combs seemed buoyant arriving in the courtroom earlier Wednesday, a contrast to his mood a day earlier after he learned that the jury had reached a yet-to-be-disclosed verdict on all but one of the five charges he faced. Combs smiled and clasped his hands together in the air toward his family and supporters before hugging several of his lawyers and sitting down to await the outcome of the jury's third day of deliberations. A short while later, Combs, his head bowed, stood several feet from his family for less than a minute as they sat with their heads bowed in prayer. As they did on Monday, Combs and family members then applauded before he was led from the courtroom. The family later got in a van and left the court. On Tuesday, US district judge Arun Subramanian had ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after they said they were unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy. Mr Subramanian adjourned the court while he considered whether to grant Combs bail. Combs, 55, has been behind bars since his arrest in September. His lawyers argued that the acquittal on the most serious counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should get bail. Combs appeared overwhelmed as the court adjourned for at least a few hours. He wiped his face, turning and kneeling at his chair, his head bowed in prayer. In the audience, his relatives stood and applauded as he faced them. 'I'll be home soon,' he said, and 'I love you, baby.' 'I love you, mum,' he added. Combs did not give evidence at his trial, which featured 34 witnesses as well as video of the rapper attacking his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. Her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said in a statement after the verdict that 'by coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice'. Cassie gave evidence for four days about her turbulent 11-year relationship with Combs, which began after she signed with his Bad Boy record label. Cassie said Combs became obsessed with voyeuristic encounters, arranged with the help of his staff, that involved sex workers and copious amounts of baby oil. During the sex events, called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights,' Combs would order Cassie to do things with other men that she found humiliating, she said. When things did not go Combs' way, he would beat her, she said.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Diddy may only get TIME SERVED after disastrous prosecution in most expensive prostitution case in history, says lawyer
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SEAN 'DIDDY' Combs' criminal case has been blasted as a 'total failure' for the prosecution and he will likely only get time served or a few years, legal experts believe. The rap music mogul fell to his knees on Wednesday when the verdict was read out in a Manhattan courtroom. 6 Sean 'Diddy' Combs reacts to the verdicts of the five counts against him in this courtroom sketch Credit: Reuters 6 Supporters of Sean Combs rejoice after a jury acquitted Combs of racketeering and sex trafficking and found him guilty on lesser transportation charges in New York Credit: EPA 6 Sean 'Diddy' Combs attends the GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons honoring him on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills Credit: Getty The jury decided to only convict Combs of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, which each carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence and no minimum. He has been acquitted of racketeering conspiracy, which carried a life sentence, and two counts of sex trafficking, the most serious crimes. Combs was arrested in September 2024 and has been behind bars ever since after multiple requests for bail were denied. While the star and his family celebrate, his accusers will not after a grueling seven-week trial including harrowing testimony from over 30 witnesses, including his former girlfriends and employees. Sean Combs diddy bombshell Sean Combs accused of rape & abuse by ex Cassie as rapper denies claims A judge will decide whether or not he will be granted bail late on Wednesday, July 2. However, prosecutors look set to argue that detention is mandatory following a conviction of this kind. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers, who has been following the case since the beginning spoke to The U.S. Sun about the outcome. He said, "Today's verdict is nothing less than a complete and total failure by the prosecution in what will go down as the most expensive prostitution trial in American history. "Even though the Mann Act carries a potential 10-year maximum sentence, Diddy is going to get time served or close to it. His sentencing guideline range may be as low as 15-21 months. The government made several fatal self-induced errors." Neama Rahmani, president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers "The jury has spoken and prosecutors in the prestigious Southern District of New York should take this very embarrassing loss and move on." Count 1 : Racketeering conspiracy - Not Guilty : Racketeering conspiracy - Count 2 : Sex trafficking of Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura - Not Guilty : Sex trafficking of Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura - Count 3 : Sex trafficking of "Jane" - Not Guilty : Sex trafficking of "Jane" - Count 4 : Transportation to engage in prostitution (Cassandra Ventura) - Guilty : Transportation to engage in prostitution (Cassandra Ventura) - Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution ("Jane) - Guilty The U.S. Sun obtained a letter from the prosecution sent to Judge Arun Subramanian following the verdict on Wednesday. They say the guideline sentence for him is just 51 to 63 months [five and a half years maximum], and he has already been behind bars for nine months. It reads, "The Government notes, however, that the Guidelines applicable at sentencing may be higher than this preliminary calculation. Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil & vast weapons arsenal "The Government has not had adequate time to carefully consider all potentially applicable Guidelines provisions." He believes that the sex trafficking charges appeared weak because of the "evidence of consent" the jury was told throughout the trial. "The prosecution's only real chance of a victory was racketeering and to prove a non-sex related predicate act like kidnapping, arson, extortion, or bribery," Rahmani continued. "The fact that the jury even rejected that argument shows the many flaws in the prosecution's case. "They failed to lean on and flip key members of Diddy's inner circle like KK and D-ROC." The prosecution also didn't call any of the alleged sexual assault victims who have filed civil lawsuits against Combs, who did not have a romantic or professional relationship with him. Many celebrities who showed the alleged victims support throughout the trial have expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the trial. Rosie O'Donnell shared on Instagram on Wednesday, "I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion - wow - they just think women stay because what? money - fame - 'they love the abuse' - what a fucking joke - this decision got me angry #cassie." New Mexico-based criminal defense attorney John W. Day also told The U.S. Sun he felt the verdict was a "major loss for the prosecutors." He said, "They presented a tsunami of evidence against Diddy over many weeks, and the jurors did not buy their story. "The government was trying to convince the jury that RICO — which was designed to go after the Mafia and mob organized crime families — should be applied to baby oil and Diddy's high-flying lifestyle in the music business, and the jury just was not convinced. "The prosecutors believed that Cassie Ventura and Jane — the girlfriend who testified under an alias — would tell a story of victimization that the jury would feel empathy for, but they most likely just saw these witnesses as willing participants in the glamorous world of Diddy. "In retrospect, the prosecutors aimed too high with the RICO charges. "He's likely to get some time in federal prison — maybe more than three or five years, but not the full 20 years he's facing after convictions on the two counts. "At the end of the day, the prosecutors need a black box, like we have in airplanes to tell us what went wrong after a crash, to find out what failed with their case." Combs' legal team has written a letter, obtained by The U.S. Sun, to Judge Subramanian outlining the reasons why they say he should be released from custody. They argue he is not a flight risk and has been a model inmate and shown up to all court hearings, adding that "reasonable conditions would ensure" he would not have the ability to arrange to meet with escorts in the future. His defense also says 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." 6 Sean Combs could soon be a free man after beating the most serious charges in the indictment this week Credit: Getty 6 Cassie Ventura, left, and Sean Combs appear at the MET Gala in New York in 2015 Credit: AP
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs could walk out of prison today
Sean 'Diddy' Combs could today walk out of prison after spending the last 10 months in federal jail. A jury cleared Combs, 55, of three out of five federal charges including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which could have seen him jailed for life. The music mogul was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution, which carries a far lesser sentence than the more serious charges he was accused of. The verdict is a partial victory for the hip-hop mogul, who has spent 10 months vehemently denying the allegations. This afternoon, a judge will consider whether Combs should be granted bail and allowed to return to his Florida home until his sentencing. 'In light of the fact that Mr Combs is no longer charged with sex trafficking... he should be released,' Marc Agnifilo, his defence lawyer, told the court. Prosecutors oppose Combs being released on bail over his potential to obstruct justice and commit further crimes.
