After practically two months of gut-wrenching testimony and authorized theatrics, the destiny of Sean “Diddy” Combs now rests within the fingers of a 12-member jury.
On Monday, the federal jury, comprised of eight males and 4 girls, started deliberating Combs’ felony sex-trafficking case, however ended the day with out reaching a verdict. Lower than an hour into deliberations, the panel raised pink flags in a observe to Choose Arun Subramanian, stating, “We’ve got a juror, quantity 25, who we’re involved can’t observe your honor’s directions.”
Subramanian, acknowledging their concern, instructed the jury to proceed deliberations and reminded them of their authorized responsibility to contemplate the information with out bias.
Later within the day, two extra notes had been despatched to the decide, one containing a query concerning the drug distribution allegations tied to Combs’ alleged coercion techniques. Subramanian indicated he would reply that query on Tuesday morning. By 5 p.m. ET, the jury had formally adjourned after roughly 5 hours of dialogue. Deliberations resumed Tuesday at 9 a.m.
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Combs is charged with two counts of intercourse trafficking, two counts of transportation to have interaction in prostitution, and one depend of racketeering.
The fees stem from what prosecutors describe as a decades-long sample of abuse, intimidation, and coercion, anchored by Combs’ affect within the leisure world. Federal authorities declare Combs turned his “multi-faceted enterprise empire” right into a “felony enterprise” through which he and his associates engaged in kidnapping, arson, bodily violence, intercourse trafficking, and compelled labor, amongst different alleged crimes.
Throughout closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Christy Slavik concluded her remarks by thanking the jury and summarizing the proof introduced over the previous a number of weeks.
“He thought that his fame, wealth, and energy put him above the regulation. However over the course of this trial, his crimes have been uncovered,” Slavik stated. “Up till at present, the defendant was in a position to get away with these crimes due to his cash, his energy, his affect. That stops now. It’s time to carry him accountable.”
The federal government’s case, bolstered by graphic testimony from over 30 witnesses, painted a disturbing image of Combs because the kingpin of “freak offs,” drug-fueled, dayslong sexual performances involving manipulated girls. Federal authorities declare they’ve video proof and witness testimony corroborating the abuse, which allegedly included weapons, kidnapping, and even arson to silence victims.
Combs’ authorized group, nevertheless, pushed again exhausting. Lead protection legal professional Marc Agnifilo didn’t try to sanitize his shopper’s previous however as an alternative argued that the prosecution exaggerated the scope of his wrongdoing. Agnifilo stated the protection made no try to dispute allegations that Combs battered then girlfriend Cassie Ventura. “We personal the home violence — I hope you guys know that,” he stated as he started his closing.
Regardless of acknowledging the bodily abuse, Agnifilo described the connection between Combs and Ventura as “an important fashionable love story.”
Agnifilo continued his closing arguments, portraying his shopper as a deeply flawed man who led a swinger’s way of life, had a drug downside, and generally bodily assaulted his girlfriends. However he argued the federal government’s accusation that Mr. Combs was a intercourse trafficker or the ringleader of a racketeering group was “badly exaggerated.”
“He did what he did,” Agnifilo admitted. “However he’s going to combat to the dying to defend himself from what he didn’t do.”
Regardless of the burden of the accusations, Combs didn’t take the stand, and his group rested its protection in below half-hour, calling no witnesses and seemingly betting the burden of proof would fall brief.
Choose Subramanian reminded jurors on the primary day of deliberations the significance of tensioning unbiased within the choice, “You’re to carry out the responsibility of discovering the information with out bias or prejudice as to any get together,” underscoring that his rulings all through the trial are to not be interpreted as steering on the defendant’s guilt or innocence.
Combs has remained in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Middle since his arrest in September 2024 after a number of requests for bail had been denied.
The music mogul as soon as identified for being the juggernaut of hits and high-profile events is now going through the potential for a lifetime behind bars.
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