Jury finds Combs guilty on 2 counts in sex trafficking trial

A woman talks on the phone and raises her arms after the jury reached a verdict in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial at federal court in New York City today.

In the blocks surrounding the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, dozens of journalists stood behind metal barricades, glued to their phones as the verdict came through. The weeks-long, round-the-clock coverage of the trial has rivaled few other criminal cases in recent years.

The courtroom is clearing out as the judge awaits submissions from both prosecutors and defense on whether to release Combs on bail until his sentencing.

Combs was on his knees in the courtroom with his head down in a chair, seemingly praying after avoiding life in prison on the highest charges in his case.

His family stood in the background, clapping and cheering. The defense attorneys hugged each other, and Combs hugged lawyer Brian Steel.

The judge granted prosecutors a few hours to write a letter stating their case to deny Combs bail based on the Mann Act conviction.

Comey asked for a few hours to prepare their argument, and the judge agreed to take submissions on the matter from both the government and defense at 1 p.m.

The government told Judge Subramanian that Combs should remain in jail until sentencing.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will seek a 20-year maximum for Combs.

Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo asked the court to release Combs from federal detention, where he has been for nearly a year.

Now that Combs is no longer charged with sex trafficking, Agnifilo asked that he be released on conditions to his home in Miami and offered a $1 million bond.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian addressed the jury regarding the considerable press that Combs’ trial has received over the last several weeks.

He advised the group that members of the media will want to speak to them, but they are free to refuse interviews. Subramanian also asked the media to refrain from asking jurors about their specific deliberations.

What happens in the jury room, stays in the jury room, Subramanian said.

He ended by thanking the jury for their sacrifice and asked them to go to the jury room, where he wanted to personally meet with them.

The defense won three acquittals, with Combs found guilty of the Mann Act transportation of former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and “Jane.”

He was found not guilty of running a criminal enterprise and two counts of sex trafficking.

Combs was found guilty of count 5, the Mann Act transportation of former girlfriend Jane.

Combs was found not guilty of count 4, the sex trafficking of former girlfriend Jane.

Combs was found guilty on count three, the Mann Act transportation of Casandra Ventura.

Combs was found not guilty of count two, the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura.

Combs was found not guilty on count one, racketeering conspiracy.

The jury has returned to the courtroom after sending a note to the judge at 9:52 a.m. saying it has reached a verdict on all counts.

Combs’ defense team has returned to the courtroom. His family has arrived, and he is walking in with his hands in a prayer position.

The jury deliberated for 13 hours in total across three days.

Over six weeks, prosecutors called 34 witnesses to argue their case against Combs. The witnesses ranged from alleged victims and escorts to law enforcement agents and assistants.

Singer Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, testified in court and accused Combs of physical abuse, control and of having her participate in drug-fueled sexual encounters with male escorts. The pregnant Ventura testified for four grueling days that she didn’t want to engage in “freak offs“ but “just didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.”

Rapper Scott Mescudi, known professionally as Kid Cudi, testified about his relationship with Ventura and the abusive nature of her relationship with Combs. 

Other key witnesses included a former personal assistant to Combs, who went by the pseudonym “Mia,” and another former girlfriend of Combs, identified in court as “Jane.”

“Mia” accused Combs of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions and said she witnessed Combs lashing out violently against Ventura. Mia also described cleaning up after the couple’s “hotel nights.”

Jane testified to participating in “hotel nights,“ sleeping with escorts to please Combs. His constant need for sex for entertainment left her “sore, tired, exhausted and overwhelmed,” Jane said.

The jury has alerted the court that it has decided on all five of Combs’ charges.

Yesterday, the jury told the judge that it had reached a verdict on four counts but could not reach a consensus on the racketeering charge. The judge told the jury to continue deliberating and that it should not hesitate to change opinions.

Combs led his family in a prayer as they waited out deliberations in the courtroom.

“Let us pray, please watch over my family,” the music mogul said. “Amen.”

The family and some of its supporters clapped in court. 

Combs sat alone, reading at the defense table, while his attorneys huddled against a wall, gesticulating and conversing.

The defendant’s mother, Janice Combs, and children are seated in court, chatting with people around them.

Prosecutors have not entered the courtroom yet.

As the clock struck 9 a.m. today, Combs stood at the defense table and conferred with Marc Agnifilo, one of his attorneys. Jurors were expected to resume their talks at 9 a.m.

The defendant placed some books on the table and looked through an expanding file folder as Agnifilo paced up and down the side of the well.

The music mogul could be within minutes or hours of learning his fate.

Combs’ mother and six eldest children were in the courtroom yesterday, along with the mother of his youngest child, Dana Tran. As Combs got up to leave court, he turned to his family, blew a kiss and said, “See you tomorrow.”

His mother asked about the verdicts and Combs said, “They came back with four verdicts and we’re waiting on count one… It’ll be all right, I love you.” Combs had a slight smile, but his usual optimism appeared notably more subdued. 

The courtroom became tense when the jury’s afternoon note came in, and Combs’ defense team formed a tight huddle around him. Combs appeared dejected and stared at the floor with his hands folded in his lap. 

Jurors said yesterday they are having trouble reaching a consensus on the racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs.

The prosecution argued that Combs is a part of a “criminal enterprise,” allegedly using his businesses and employees to carry out crimes such as kidnapping, arson, sex trafficking and to coerce women to perform sex acts. The government argued Combs’ staffers were involved in booking the hotels and setting them up with baby oil for “freak-offs.”

The defense argued that Combs didn’t engage in a criminal enterprise; rather, his freak-off nights were part of his personal sex life with his girlfriends and escorts. His lawyers claimed he tried to hide the true nature of those nights from his staff.

Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury to consider four elements in determining whether Combs violated the RICO Act. 

They must determine whether there was an agreement — whether spoken or unspoken — by at least two people to participate in a criminal enterprise; they must conclude that Combs was a willful member, he knowingly committed two predicate crimes as part of the criminal conspiracy, and racketeering activities must have affected interstate or foreign commerce. 

Jury deliberations happen behind closed doors, but the public can gain some insight into their process if the group sends notes to the court seeking clarification on specific elements of the case.

On Monday, the jury sent a note asking the judge to clarify whether a person who hands someone drugs is a distributor if the recipient specifically asked for the substance. Combs is not charged with drug distribution, but the prosecution has accused him of possession with the intent to distribute drugs as part of his “criminal enterprise.”

The jury must agree that Combs committed at least two of the predicate crimes under the RICO Act as one of the criteria for the racketeering charge. Its instructions list drug distribution as a predicate crime in addition to kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering, forced labor, sex trafficking, and transportation for the purposes of prostitution.

Yesterday, the jury seemed to want to revisit specific violent incidents that allegedly occurred between Combs and Cassie Ventura.

It asked for transcript excerpts from testimony about the InterContinental Hotel assault in March 2016 and an incident where she was allegedly assaulted by Combs during a “freak off” at the Essex House hotel. The jury also asked for her testimony about an incident at the Cannes Film Festival, where Ventura said Combs kicked her off the yacht where they were staying without her belongings, then later threatened to release a sex tape while they were on a plane home.

Deliberations enter their third day today after jurors reached a partial verdict yesterday afternoon.

The group sent a note to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at 4:19 p.m. yesterday to let him know it has reached a consensus on four charges but cannot agree on a verdict for count one.

Count one is the racketeering charge, which accuses Combs of being part of a “criminal enterprise.”

Both the prosecution and defense asked the judge to instruct the jury to continue deliberations. The jury has only been deliberating for about 13 hours, as the case was handed to it just before noon Monday.

Subramanian told the jury to continue discussing the count and urged it to “keep an open mind.” It should not hesitate to change its opinion if it has been convinced.