Jury deliberations begin at Combs' sex trafficking trial
"We are concerned [the juror] cannot follow your honour's instructions," the foreperson wrote in a note just after 12.30pm (local time).
They started deliberating charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life around 11.30am.
Judge Arun Subramanian sent his note to the jury after 2pm, reminding jurors to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law.
After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that less be said rather than more.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said.
After more than two hours of legal instructions from Subramanian, the jury of eight men and four women headed behind closed doors to deliberate.
They were sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fuelled sex marathons dubbed "freak-offs" or "hotel nights".
Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case.
As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby in case they were needed to fill in on the main jury.
About 10 minutes into deliberations, the jury sent a note indicating they had completed their first order of business: electing a foreperson.
Combs faced his family and supporters, who were in the courtroom gallery, all who were bowing their heads in prayer — his family members holding hands with each other. As they finished, they all applauded, and eventually left the courtroom.
ADVERTISEMENT
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking — relating to two of his ex-girlfriends — and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly sex workers across state lines.
In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records.
"The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law."
She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs".
Cassie Ventura wipes tears from her eye while testifying in Manhattan federal court. (Source: Associated Press)
Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money". He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court.
"He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors.
ADVERTISEMENT
In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs' former girlfriends Cassie — the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura — and "Jane," who testified under a pseudonym. Both women said he often was violent toward them. Cassie said he forced her into hundreds of sexual encounters with paid male sex workers while Jane recounted numerous "hotel nights".
Jurors also saw now-infamous security camera video of Combs beating, kicking and dragging Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 and clips from videos of sexual encounters.
Combs chose not to testify, and his lawyers didn't call any witnesses in their defence case. His attorneys elected instead to challenge the accusers' credibility during lengthy cross-examination questioning.
The defence has acknowledged that Combs veered into violence, but his lawyers maintain that the sex acts were consensual. They contend that prosecutors are intruding in Combs' personal life and that he's done nothing to warrant the charges against him.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
8 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Marlee Matlin on Hollywood, healing and stories still untold
In a new documentary, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, the star reflects on the joy, and pain, of being Hollywood's first Oscar-winning Deaf actress. Marlee Matlin is a fighter. At 21, she became the first deaf performer to win an Oscar for her role as a smart, stubborn custodian in
1News
3 days ago
- 1News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail after mixed verdict clears him of top charges
A US judge has declined to grant bail to Sean "Diddy" Combs, preventing the hip-hop mogul from being freed ahead of sentencing in his sex crimes case. The bond decision came after a jury convicted Combs of federal prostitution-related offences but acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Combs, 55, has been behind bars since his arrest in September. The Grammy-winning impresario stands convicted of two counts of a crime — transportation to engage in prostitution — that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But jurors cleared him of charges that could have put him behind bars for life. His lawyers argued that the acquittal on those counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should be freed on US$1 million bond. ADVERTISEMENT Prosecutors said he remained a flight risk. Judge Arun Subramanian said the applicable law didn't allow for Combs' release at this point. Among other reasons, the judge noted Combs' violent history: "At trial, the defence conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships, saying it happened with Cassie and Jane." As the judge spoke, Combs remained stoic with his hands at his lap. Earlier today, he dropped to his knees and prayed in the courtroom after he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop's celebrated figures behind bars for life. The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution-related offences and still faces prison time, but is seeking to be freed from jail to await sentencing. The mixed result capped a sordid legal odyssey that shattered Combs' affable "Puff Daddy" image and derailed his career as a Grammy-winning artist and music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. ADVERTISEMENT As the jury foreman spoke and the "not guilty" verdicts piled up, Combs pumped his fist. As each juror affirmed agreement with the verdict, Combs looked toward the jury and held his hands up in a prayer motion, and he hugged defence lawyer Teny Geragos. Combs' relatives and supporters in the audience could barely contain their relief, despite the judge's admonition to avoid outbursts: When the first "not guilty" was read aloud, someone shouted, "Yeah!" In this courtroom sketch, Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. (Source: Associated Press) Combs, 55, later continued to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. Diddy: In Plain Sight is now screening on TVNZ+ ADVERTISEMENT The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but Combs' lawyers said that under federal sentencing guidelines he'd likely face 21 to 27 months. Prosecutors, citing Combs' violence and other factors, said he'd likely face 51 to 63 months. Jailed since his arrest last September, he's already served nine months behind bars. But in a triumph for Combs, the jury of eight men and four women acquitted him 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. Family members of Sean "Diddy" Combs, react as they leave Manhattan federal court. (Source: Associated Press) Combs' defence team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges. Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, asked that his client be immediately released because the federal Mann Act crimes were of a "vastly different nature" than sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey said he should remain incarcerated as a danger to the community and a threat to flee. She cited evidence of physical abuse and "prolific use and distribution of drugs" that emerged during the trial. "I do believe we'll be seeking a substantial period of incarceration," Comey said. ADVERTISEMENT Both sides filed written submissions expanding on their arguments. Combs appeared overwhelmed as the court adjourned for 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, Mom," he added. Family members of Sean "Diddy" Combs, react as they leave Manhattan federal court. (Source: Associated Press) His relatives applauded him and his lawyers, some of whom had tears in their eyes, as he was led out of court. ADVERTISEMENT There's no date yet for sentencing, when the judge will decide on Combs' punishment for the prostitution conviction. Verdict follows weeks of harrowing testimony Federal officials involved in the case responded to the outcome by noting that sex crimes 'are all too present in many aspects of our society.' 'New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice,' Manhattan-based U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and Ricky J. Patel, who heads federal Homeland Security Investigations' New York office, said in a statement. Jurors deliberated for about 13 hours over three days before announcing their verdict. It came after they said late Tuesday that they had decided on four counts but were stuck on the racketeering one. At that point, the judge told them to keep deliberating and keep the partial verdict under wraps. Combs did not testify at his trial, which featured 34 witnesses as well as video of the rapper attacking his former girlfriend Cassie, the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura. 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.' ADVERTISEMENT Cassie testified 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 testified. (Source: Associated Press) When things didn't go Combs' way, he would beat her, she said. "I'm not a rag doll. I'm somebody's child," Cassie told Combs after he dragged her down a hotel hallway in 2016. Another ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym "Jane," told the jury she repeatedly told Combs she didn't want to have sex with the men hired for their trysts. 'I'm not an animal. I need a break,' she told him. Nevertheless, she said she felt "obligated" to comply with his demands, in part because he paid her rent. ADVERTISEMENT The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has. Defence calls case an invasion of privacy The trial's most famous witness, rapper Kid Cudi, said Combs broke into his home in late 2011 after learning he and Cassie were dating. After his car was firebombed a few weeks later, Cudi — whose real name is Scott Mescudi — said he knew Combs "had something to do" with it. Combs denied it. A supporter of Sean "Diddy" Combs, reacts outside Manhattan federal court. (Source: Associated Press) Combs' defence team acknowledged that he could be violent but argued that prosecutors were intruding in his personal life. In his closing remarks to the jury, Agnifilo said it wasn't illegal for Combs to make "homemade porn" with his girlfriends. "They go into the man's bedroom. They go into the man's most private life. Where is the crime scene?" Agnifilo said. Rapper, entrepreneur and criminal defendant ADVERTISEMENT Combs was at the centre of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s and became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, diversifying his interests with the Sean John fashion label, Ciroc vodka, a cable TV channel and a film and TV studio. In 2001, Combs was at the centre of one of the biggest hip-hop trials of its era, stemming from a Manhattan nightclub shooting that injured three people in 1999. Combs was acquitted of charges that he took an illegal gun into the club and tried to bribe his driver to take the fall. His career recovered quickly that time. Combs' reputation may have suffered irreparable damage, though, after Cassie sued him in November 2023, alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. He settled the next day for US$20 million, but more lawsuits by other women and men followed. Most are still pending. Diddy: In Plain Sight is now screening on TVNZ+
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Diddy cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges
Sean "Diddy" Combs has been cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life but found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offenses. It was a blow to prosecutors who said the music mogul used "violence and fear" to abuse women. The verdict is overall a win for Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The 12-member jury unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking two of his former romantic partners: the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. After the judge dismissed the jury and lawyers for both sides, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. 'I'm gonna be home soon,' he said, smiling and clasping his hands. 'I love you. Thank you, I love you.' Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. Combs, 55, who had pleaded not guilty to all five counts, faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a maximum sentence of 5-1/4 years. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to hold a hearing on Combs' request to be released on bail pending sentencing. The trial focused on prosecutors' allegations that Combs for two decades used his business empire to force Ventura and Jane to take part in drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. During the seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court, jurors saw some of the 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant authorities found during searches of his homes, which prosecutors said he would use in the performances. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Combs' conduct toward both women amounted to sex trafficking because he compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances using physical violence and threats to withhold financial support or leak sexually explicit images of them. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. "He doesn't take no for an answer." ACQUITTAL ON THREE CHARGES The jury's acquittal on the most serious charges signals that the prosecution failed to draw a direct line between Combs' abuse of Ventura and Jane and their participation in the sexual performances. The defense acknowledged that Combs engaged in domestic violence, but argued that Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who consensually took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Defense lawyers accused prosecutors of trying to criminalize Combs' private sex life. Sarah Krissoff, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said the jury may have viewed Combs' conduct as evidence of toxic romantic relationships, but not sex trafficking. "It doesn't fit what they would expect to be sex trafficking," said Krissoff, now a partner at law firm Cozen O'Connor. The Bad Boy Records founder could have faced life in prison if he were convicted on sex trafficking or racketeering conspiracy. Combs, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. Combs' family left the courthouse to chants of 'love, love, love,' from Combs' supporters. During his career, Combs' stage monikers included Love, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy. In a statement after the verdict, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, which brought the case, said sex crimes were "all too present" across society. "Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice," read the statement from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. With the criminal trial over, Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Ventura sued him in November 2023 for sex trafficking, and they settled a day later for $20 million. Combs, once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, has denied all wrongdoing. After the verdict, Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement that she had "paved the way" for Combs' conviction.
