UPDATED VERDICT | Jury acquits Sean 'Diddy' Combs on most serious charges in sexual misconduct trial
After a little over 13 hours of deliberation, a jury reached a partial verdict in the federal criminal trial for Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York City, but will continue deliberating one of the charges in question on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old music mogul had been accused of two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The jury told the court it had reached a verdict on four of the five charges, but that they were unable to reach a decision on the racketeering count.
The jury note said, in part, "We have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides."
If the jury were to find Combs guilty of racketeering conspiracy, they would also have to distinguish which predicate acts under the charge he was guilty of. Those acts, per the jury's verdict form, include kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering and forced labor.
He could face life in prison if the jury finds him guilty on the most serious charge.
Throughout the months-long trial, 34 witnesses were called to stand by the prosecution to paint a picture of a man they said "used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted."
During the closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said, “He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”
At the center of the accusations were so-called "freak offs" or "hotel nights." Two of Combs' ex-girlfriends — Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine and another woman who testified under the pseudonym of "Jane" — alleged physical and sexual abuse during these marathon sex encounters that often involved male prostitutes.
The multiple counts Combs faced for sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution were on behalf of both women.
Prosecutors insisted during the trial that Combs used violence and threats to coerce the women into these sex acts, as well as control their daily lives.
“Over the last several weeks, you’ve learned a lot about Sean Combs. He’s the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn’t take no for an answer. And now you know about many crimes the defendant committed with members of his enterprise: Kidnapping of one of the defendant’s employees; arson by trying to blow up a car; forced labor, including of an employee the defendant repeatedly sexually assaulted; bribery of a security officer to keep damning evidence against the defendant buried; and of course, the brutal crimes at the heart of this case — sex trafficking,” she said.
Although no charges were filed, the prosecution accused Combs of setting fire to rapper Scott Mescudi's, known as Kid Cudi, car in retaliation for his relationship with Cassie at the time.
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The jury heard from Mescudi during the trial, as well as a former employee of Combs, who claimed she was taken against her will to Mescudi's house with Combs.
In addition to testimony, jurors saw photos inside Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles following law enforcement raids, as well as videos of his sexual encounters and the notorious security camera video of him beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel as she tried to leave.
The defense acknowledged that Combs had a violent side, but they insisted all of the sex acts were consensual.
Combs' attorneys did not call any witnesses, and he did not take the stand to defend himself.
RELATED STORY | Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs confirms he won't testify, praises judge for ‘excellent job’
Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo said during his closing argument that the government's charges against Combs were not justified and that prosecutors were targeting Combs' personal life.
“They go into the man’s bedroom. They go into the man’s most private life. Where is the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life. That’s the crime scene,” Agnifilo said.
