Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Bail denied due to 'propensity for violence'
Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
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Read ongoing updates in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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Sean Combs trial reaches an end with mixed verdict
The highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has reached an end.
The jury found Sean Combs not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge.
The jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura) and guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane").
He was found not guilty of both charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Ventura and "Jane."
Combs was accused of being the ringleader of an alleged enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, which he called "freak-offs," and then threatened them into silence. Combs has said that all of the sex was consensual and that while his relationships sometimes involved domestic violence, he wasn't engaged in trafficking.
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was simply part of the swinger lifestyle and that he "vehemently denies the accusations made by the SDNY."
Combs greets family and leaves courtroom after deliberations begin
After sitting in the courtroom for about thirty minutes – spending much of that time reading a book and jotting down notes – Sean Combs has departed the courtroom. He has spent most of the deliberations in a separate location.
Before leaving, Combs approached his family, who were seated in the first few rows of the gallery. The family members locked hands briefly and shared a moment with Combs, who stood on the other side of the well. His family applauded for him as he walked out of the courtroom. Combs hugged attorney Brian Steel as he exited.
Most of Combs' family has left the courtroom as well.
We are now 14 hours into deliberations.
Deliberations resume as jury debates verdict on racketeering conspiracy charge
Deliberations have resumed this morning in the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Combs is seated alone at the defense counsel table this morning, flipping through a large book and appearing to take notes. The first three tables in the courtroom – normally filled by prosecutors and defense attorneys during the bulk of the trial – are empty except for Combs. His lawyers are huddled together on the side of the courtroom.
In a cliffhanger ending on Tuesday, the jury reported that they had reached a verdict on four of the criminal counts against Combs – two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – but were unable to reach a verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge. The outcome of the four verdicts reached on the sex trafficking and prostitution charges were not announced in court.
“We are unable to reach a verdict on Count One, as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides,” the foreman wrote in a note sent to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
To convict on the racketeering conspiracy charge, the jurors were previously instructed that they need to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Combs worked with at least one other person to commit two underlying crimes. Prosecutors allege those underlying crimes – known as “predicates” or “racketeering acts” – include kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering, forced labor, sex trafficking, transportation for the purposes of prostitution, and drug distribution.
“What the government must prove is that there was a mutual understanding, either spoken or unspoken, between two or more people to cooperate with each other to accomplish the unlawful object,” Subramanian told the jury on Monday during his instructions on the law prior to the start of deliberations.
After the jury reported their impasse Tuesday, Subramanian urged them to continue deliberating on the racketeering conspiracy count.
“Again, your verdict must be unanimous, but you are not bound to surrender your honest convictions concerning the effect or weight of the evidence for the mere purpose of returning a verdict or solely because of the opinion of other jurors,” he told the jury. “Each of you must make your own decision about the proper outcome of this case based on your consideration of the evidence and your discussions with your fellow jurors. No juror should surrender his or her conscientious beliefs for the purpose of returning a unanimous verdict.”
Since the jury got the case on Monday they have deliberated for more than 13 hours.
Jury done for the day
The jury sent back a note saying they plan to go home for the day.
The jury will return at 9 a.m. on Wednesday to resume deliberations.
"Make sure to keep an open mind as you continue your deliberations," Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury before sending them home. "I wish you all a great evening."
Combs maintained his composure when the jury was in the room.
Before the judge and jury entered, half a dozen lawyers huddled around Combs. He appeared to wipe his eyes after he grasped a copy of the jury's note. Defense attorneys Anna Estevao and Teny Geragos stood around him with their arms wrapped around each other, while another lawyer appeared to touch Combs' shoulders.
Judge sends jury back to deliberation room
Judge Arun Subramanian brought the jury back into the courtroom and told them to continue deliberating.
He said if they want to go home for the day and resume their deliberations in the morning, he instructed them to send back a note.
Sean Combs stood with his hands in his pockets as the jury exited.