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Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury resumes deliberations after reaching verdict on 4 of 5 counts
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs resumed deliberations Wednesday after saying it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against the hip-hop mogul. The 12-member panel sent a note on Tuesday afternoon informing Judge Arun Subramanian that it had come to an agreement on counts two, three, four and five — which include sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note read. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Subramanian told the jury to 'keep an open mind' as it continues deliberating the case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to control his victims. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said during last week's closing arguments. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense attorney, argued that Combs is a 'swinger' and a drug abuser guilty of past domestic violence, but not the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' as prosecutors have portrayed him. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo told jurors. 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, the New York Times and USA Today. The 12-member panel resumed its deliberations on Wednesday morning, a day after informing Judge Arun Subramanian that it had reached a consensus on all but one of the charges against Combs. Combs hugged his attorneys and waved to people in the gallery as he entered the courtroom. He was then escorted back to his holding cell to await the verdict. The jury said late Tuesday afternoon that it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts Combs is facing, but was stuck on one: racketeering conspiracy. The charge is based on a 1970 federal law — the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO — that was originally used to combat organized crime but has since been applied more broadly. Federal prosecutors argued that Combs was the "leader of a criminal" enterprise, coerced women to participate in drug-fueled sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire to carry out crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering, forced labor, sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution and drug distribution. To convict Combs on the racketeering charge, jurors must determine that he was a willful member of the criminal enterprise; that there was an agreement — whether spoken or unspoken — by Combs and at least one other person to participate in the criminal enterprise; and that he or a coconspirator knowingly committed at least two of the underlying crimes as part of the criminal conspiracy. Prosecutors did not charge a coconspirator in this case, but jurors have been instructed not to take that into account when weighing the racketeering charge against Combs. The jury is expected to resume deliberations at 9 a.m. ET. The 12-member panel informed Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday afternoon that it had reached a verdict on four of five counts, including sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, but was unable to reach a verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge. Subramanian told jurors to 'keep an open mind' as they deliberate. There is no timetable for a verdict. The jury concluded its deliberations around 5 p.m. ET on Monday and Tuesday. The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday afternoon saying it had reached a verdict on four of five counts. The 12-member panel said it had come to an agreement "on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5"— which include sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one, racketeering conspiracy, because 'we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Combs huddled with his lawyers, who seemed to console him after receiving the note. After conferring with both sides, Subramanian told the jury to continue deliberating the case. Before exiting the courtroom, Combs spoke to his mother, Janice Combs, and several of his adult children who were seated behind him in the gallery. "I'll be all right," he told his mother, tapping his chest. "Love you." Combs has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying that it will finish deliberations for today and will continue tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET. The group said it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs but will continue to deliberate the racketeering conspiracy charge. After Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and the defense team discussed the jury's last note about not reaching a verdict on the first count against Combs, Subramanian said he was going to tell the jury to keep deliberating. Subramanian also said he is going to tell the group that if they're done deliberating for the day and want to pick up tomorrow instead, they can send another note to him. When the jury entered the courtroom, Subramanin said, 'I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating." The jury says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," its note to the judge reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Here is a review of all the criminal counts the hip-hop mogul is facing, and the possible sentences for each: Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1, who is Cassie Ventura If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 1 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 2, who is "Jane" If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 2 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The jury has informed Judge Arun Subramanian that it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Count 1 is the racketeering conspiracy charge. Counts 2-5 are sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Lawyers for both the prosecution and defense told Subramanian that they want him to tell the jury to continue deliberations. The jury has sent another note to Judge Arun Subramanian. The panel has now sent the judge six notes since deliberations began on Monday. Combs and attorneys from both sides have gathered inside the courtroom. As deliberations began Monday in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, he was accused in a new civil lawsuit of drugging and raping a man, USA Today reports: In 2021, the man, then in his 20s, alleges in the suit that he met a security guard for one of Combs's parties while stopped at a gas station in Los Angeles. The guard invited him to a party that evening, where he says he drank a glass of champagne on arrival that he later suspected had been drugged. [...]In the suit, lawyers for the man also claim that during the party, while he searched for a place to lie down, he passed out and was awoken by someone unbuttoning his pants. When he asked what was going on, a voice, which the lawsuit claims belonged to Combs, responded, "You're about to get that Diddy love."When the man protested, saying he had a wife and children, Combs allegedly told him he was going to receive a great massage, before he felt himself being undressed, covered in some form of liquid and penetrated anally, per the suit. It's one of dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against Combs since Cassie Ventura's explosive 2023 suit accusing him of sexual assault. In a statement to the paper, Combs's legal team said, "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor." "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason," Combs's legal team continued. "Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court." Read more from USA Today: As Diddy jury deliberates, new civil suit against music mogul alleges drugging and rape There is once again a large media presence outside the courthouse as the jury continues its deliberations. Combs's family members, including his mother and several children, were seen coming and going, as well as a supporter who displayed a T-shirt that reads "A freako is not a R.I.C.O," a reference to the racketeering charges the hip-hop mogul is facing. The jury requested to review Cassie Ventura's testimony about three incidents, including the 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel, and the events during and after her 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival. Hotel assault: Ventura told the court that Combs erupted when she tried to leave a "freak off" at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. on March 5, 2016, a violent assault that was caught on surveillance video and left her with bruises and a black eye. Combs later paid a hotel security guard $100,000 in cash for the surveillance footage. After it leaked, Combs publicly apologized for the assault. The defense did not deny it occurred, arguing that it was evidence of domestic violence and not the criminal behavior alleged by federal prosecutors. Cannes incident: Ventura told the court that during a 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival in France, Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht. Then, on a commercial flight back to the U.S., she said he pulled up explicit videos of her having sex and threatened to release them unless she agreed to another "freak off." Ventura said she felt trapped and arranged one for him upon their landing. The jury also asked to review testimony from Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified that he was paid to have sex with Ventura numerous times and witnessed Combs physically abuse her at a New York City hotel years before the InterContinental assault. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort, be sent to the jury. After a lengthy discussion with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian also said the jury will get the transcripts for Ventura's testimony about the days before and after the March 5, 2016, assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as a transcript of Ventura's testimony regarding her 2024 Instagram post in response to the release of the surveillance video. (In the post, she described the assault as "domestic violence.") Prosecutors objected to the inclusion of her testimony about the Instagram post, but Subramanian sided with the defense, which wanted it sent to the jury. In its latest note to the judge, the jury is asking for transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort. Specifically, the jury wants to review Ventura's testimony about the 2016 assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, which was caught on surveillance video; her flight back from the Cannes Film Festival with Combs, during which she said he played "freak off" videos and threatened to release them; and what she told the court, if anything, about the "freak offs" she took part in with Phillip. The panel also wants to review Phillip's testimony about a "freak off" he and Ventura had at the Essex Hotel in New York. (Phillip told the court that he witnessed Ventura "slumped over.") Lawyers for both sides are now reviewing the transcripts to identify the corresponding excerpts so Judge Arun Subramanian can provide them to the jury. The jury has sent another note to the judge, asking for transcripts of testimony from two witnesses: Cassie Ventura, Comb's ex-girlfriend, and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified he was paid to have sex with Ventura. It is the fifth note sent to the judge by the jury since deliberations began Monday. Such a request for transcripts is not unusual. The prosecution called 34 witnesses to testify over the course of six weeks. Janice Combs, Sean "Diddy" Combs's mother, has been a constant presence at her son's trial. She arrived at the courthouse early Tuesday for the second day of deliberations. Inside the courtroom, the defendant spoke briefly to his mom, who was seated in the gallery, before returning to his holding cell. 'Just relax, it's gonna be all right,' he said, according to a CNN report, adding that he loved her outfit. Judge Arun Subramanian discussed with the prosecution and defense attorneys how to answer the jury's question about whether giving drugs to someone who asked for them qualifies as distributing controlled substances. Subramanian sent a note to the jury saying, "In response to the jury's question, the Court refers the jury to page 37, lines 1 through 3 of its jury charge," or jury instructions. Subramanian quoted the lines he's referencing in the jury charge in his response letter: 'The word 'distribution' means actual, constructive or attempted transfer. To distribute simply means to deliver, to pass over or to hand over something to another person, or to cause it to be delivered, passed on or handed over to another. Distribution does not require a sale.' Judge Arun Subramanian is now on the bench. One of the notes the jury sent to Subramanian yesterday included a question about what qualifies as the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would answer the jury's question this morning. The jury is expected to return at 9 a.m. ET to resume its deliberations. Late Monday, the 12-member panel sent a note asking Judge Arun Subramanian to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian asked prosecutors and defense attorneys to meet and confer about how to respond to the jury's question. The judge told the jury he would respond this morning. There is no timetable for a decision. Subramanian told jurors that they can choose how long to deliberate each day. Yesterday, the jury stayed until 5 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury set to resume deliberations after reaching verdict on 4 of 5 counts
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is set to resume deliberations Wednesday after saying it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against the hip-hop mogul. The 12-member panel sent a note on Tuesday afternoon informing Judge Arun Subramanian that it had come to an agreement on counts two, three, four and five — which include sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note read. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Subramanian told the jury to 'keep an open mind' as it continues deliberating the case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to control his victims. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said during last week's closing arguments. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense attorney, argued that Combs is a 'swinger' and a drug abuser guilty of past domestic violence, but not the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' as prosecutors have portrayed him. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo told jurors. 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, the New York Times and USA Today. Before exiting the courtroom, Combs spoke to his mother, Janice Combs, and several of his adult children who were seated behind him in the gallery. "I'll be all right," he told his mother, tapping his chest. "Love you." Combs has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying that it will finish deliberations for today and will continue tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET. The group said it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs but will continue to deliberate the racketeering conspiracy charge. After Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and the defense team discussed the jury's last note about not reaching a verdict on the first count against Combs, Subramanian said he was going to tell the jury to keep deliberating. Subramanian also said he is going to tell the group that if they're done deliberating for the day and want to pick up tomorrow instead, they can send another note to him. When the jury entered the courtroom, Subramanin said, 'I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating." The jury says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," its note to the judge reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Here is a review of all the criminal counts the hip-hop mogul is facing, and the possible sentences for each: Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1, who is Cassie Ventura If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 1 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 2, who is "Jane" If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 2 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The jury has informed Judge Arun Subramanian that it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Count 1 is the racketeering conspiracy charge. Counts 2-5 are sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Lawyers for both the prosecution and defense told Subramanian that they want him to tell the jury to continue deliberations. The jury has sent another note to Judge Arun Subramanian. The panel has now sent the judge six notes since deliberations began on Monday. Combs and attorneys from both sides have gathered inside the courtroom. As deliberations began Monday in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, he was accused in a new civil lawsuit of drugging and raping a man, USA Today reports: In 2021, the man, then in his 20s, alleges in the suit that he met a security guard for one of Combs's parties while stopped at a gas station in Los Angeles. The guard invited him to a party that evening, where he says he drank a glass of champagne on arrival that he later suspected had been drugged. [...]In the suit, lawyers for the man also claim that during the party, while he searched for a place to lie down, he passed out and was awoken by someone unbuttoning his pants. When he asked what was going on, a voice, which the lawsuit claims belonged to Combs, responded, "You're about to get that Diddy love."When the man protested, saying he had a wife and children, Combs allegedly told him he was going to receive a great massage, before he felt himself being undressed, covered in some form of liquid and penetrated anally, per the suit. It's one of dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against Combs since Cassie Ventura's explosive 2023 suit accusing him of sexual assault. In a statement to the paper, Combs's legal team said, "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor." "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason," Combs's legal team continued. "Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court." Read more from USA Today: As Diddy jury deliberates, new civil suit against music mogul alleges drugging and rape There is once again a large media presence outside the courthouse as the jury continues its deliberations. Combs's family members, including his mother and several children, were seen coming and going, as well as a supporter who displayed a T-shirt that reads "A freako is not a R.I.C.O," a reference to the racketeering charges the hip-hop mogul is facing. The jury requested to review Cassie Ventura's testimony about three incidents, including the 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel, and the events during and after her 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival. Hotel assault: Ventura told the court that Combs erupted when she tried to leave a "freak off" at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. on March 5, 2016, a violent assault that was caught on surveillance video and left her with bruises and a black eye. Combs later paid a hotel security guard $100,000 in cash for the surveillance footage. After it leaked, Combs publicly apologized for the assault. The defense did not deny it occurred, arguing that it was evidence of domestic violence and not the criminal behavior alleged by federal prosecutors. Cannes incident: Ventura told the court that during a 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival in France, Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht. Then, on a commercial flight back to the U.S., she said he pulled up explicit videos of her having sex and threatened to release them unless she agreed to another "freak off." Ventura said she felt trapped and arranged one for him upon their landing. The jury also asked to review testimony from Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified that he was paid to have sex with Ventura numerous times and witnessed Combs physically abuse her at a New York City hotel years before the InterContinental assault. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort, be sent to the jury. After a lengthy discussion with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian also said the jury will get the transcripts for Ventura's testimony about the days before and after the March 5, 2016, assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as a transcript of Ventura's testimony regarding her 2024 Instagram post in response to the release of the surveillance video. (In the post, she described the assault as "domestic violence.") Prosecutors objected to the inclusion of her testimony about the Instagram post, but Subramanian sided with the defense, which wanted it sent to the jury. In its latest note to the judge, the jury is asking for transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort. Specifically, the jury wants to review Ventura's testimony about the 2016 assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, which was caught on surveillance video; her flight back from the Cannes Film Festival with Combs, during which she said he played "freak off" videos and threatened to release them; and what she told the court, if anything, about the "freak offs" she took part in with Phillip. The panel also wants to review Phillip's testimony about a "freak off" he and Ventura had at the Essex Hotel in New York. (Phillip told the court that he witnessed Ventura "slumped over.") Lawyers for both sides are now reviewing the transcripts to identify the corresponding excerpts so Judge Arun Subramanian can provide them to the jury. The jury has sent another note to the judge, asking for transcripts of testimony from two witnesses: Cassie Ventura, Comb's ex-girlfriend, and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified he was paid to have sex with Ventura. It is the fifth note sent to the judge by the jury since deliberations began Monday. Such a request for transcripts is not unusual. The prosecution called 34 witnesses to testify over the course of six weeks. Janice Combs, Sean "Diddy" Combs's mother, has been a constant presence at her son's trial. She arrived at the courthouse early Tuesday for the second day of deliberations. Inside the courtroom, the defendant spoke briefly to his mom, who was seated in the gallery, before returning to his holding cell. 'Just relax, it's gonna be all right,' he said, according to a CNN report, adding that he loved her outfit. Judge Arun Subramanian discussed with the prosecution and defense attorneys how to answer the jury's question about whether giving drugs to someone who asked for them qualifies as distributing controlled substances. Subramanian sent a note to the jury saying, "In response to the jury's question, the Court refers the jury to page 37, lines 1 through 3 of its jury charge," or jury instructions. Subramanian quoted the lines he's referencing in the jury charge in his response letter: 'The word 'distribution' means actual, constructive or attempted transfer. To distribute simply means to deliver, to pass over or to hand over something to another person, or to cause it to be delivered, passed on or handed over to another. Distribution does not require a sale.' Judge Arun Subramanian is now on the bench. One of the notes the jury sent to Subramanian yesterday included a question about what qualifies as the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would answer the jury's question this morning. The jury is expected to return at 9 a.m. ET to resume its deliberations. Late Monday, the 12-member panel sent a note asking Judge Arun Subramanian to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian asked prosecutors and defense attorneys to meet and confer about how to respond to the jury's question. The judge told the jury he would respond this morning. There is no timetable for a decision. Subramanian told jurors that they can choose how long to deliberate each day. Yesterday, the jury stayed until 5 p.m. ET. Jury deliberations began late Monday morning after Judge Arun Subramanian gave the 12-member panel instructions on how to apply the law in deciding its verdict. Just an hour into its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Subramanian saying it was concerned that one juror can't follow his instructions. Subramanian sent a note back reminding jurors of "their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law." The jury sent another note asking the judge to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would address the issue this morning. It concluded deliberations after more than five hours without coming to a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. The 12-person group began deliberations around 11:30 a.m. ET this morning, and concluded for the day after just over five hours. The jury sent two more notes to Judge Arun Subramanian while deliberating Monday afternoon. Subramanian, who returned to the bench to read the notes, said that the first was a question, which he said he would answer tomorrow. The second was a note informing the court that the jury plans to end deliberations today at 5 p.m. ET. Earlier this afternoon, the jury sent the judge a note expressing concern that one of the jurors wasn't able to follow the judge's instructions on deliberations. After receiving a note from the jury saying it is concerned that one member of the panel can't follow his instructions, Judge Arun Subramanian sent the following reply: 'I received your note. I remind every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law. With that instruction in mind, please continue deliberating.' Subramanian also instructed jurors not to reveal any specifics about their deliberations in any future notes they send to the court.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury says it has reached a verdict on 4 of 5 counts; deliberations to resume tomorrow
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against the hip-hop mogul. After nearly 12 hours of deliberations over two days, the 12-member panel sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian Tuesday afternoon saying it had reached a verdict on counts two, three, four and five — two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note read. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' After conferring with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian told the jury to continue deliberating the case. The panel will resume its deliberations on Wednesday morning. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to control his victims. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said during last week's closing arguments. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense attorney, argued that Combs is a 'swinger' and a drug abuser guilty of past domestic violence, but not the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' as prosecutors have portrayed him. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo told jurors. 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, CNN, NBC News and the USA Today. The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying that it will finish deliberations for today and will continue tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET. The group said it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs but will continue to deliberate the racketeering conspiracy charge. After Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and the defense team discussed the jury's last note about not reaching a verdict on the first count against Combs, Subramanian said he was going to tell the jury to keep deliberating. Subramanian also said he is going to tell the group that if they're done deliberating for the day and want to pick up tomorrow instead, they can send another note to him. When the jury entered the courtroom, Subramanin said, 'I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating." The jury says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," its note to the judge reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Here is a review of all the criminal counts the hip-hop mogul is facing, and the possible sentences for each: Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1, who is Cassie Ventura If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 1 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 2, who is "Jane" If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 2 and commercial sex workers If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The jury has informed Judge Arun Subramanian that it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Count 1 is the racketeering conspiracy charge. Counts 2-5 are sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Lawyers for both the prosecution and defense told Subramanian that they want him to tell the jury to continue deliberations. The jury has sent another note to Judge Arun Subramanian. The panel has now sent the judge six notes since deliberations began on Monday. Combs and attorneys from both sides have gathered inside the courtroom. As deliberations began Monday in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, he was accused in a new civil lawsuit of drugging and raping a man, USA Today reports: In 2021, the man, then in his 20s, alleges in the suit that he met a security guard for one of Combs's parties while stopped at a gas station in Los Angeles. The guard invited him to a party that evening, where he says he drank a glass of champagne on arrival that he later suspected had been drugged. [...]In the suit, lawyers for the man also claim that during the party, while he searched for a place to lie down, he passed out and was awoken by someone unbuttoning his pants. When he asked what was going on, a voice, which the lawsuit claims belonged to Combs, responded, "You're about to get that Diddy love."When the man protested, saying he had a wife and children, Combs allegedly told him he was going to receive a great massage, before he felt himself being undressed, covered in some form of liquid and penetrated anally, per the suit. It's one of dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against Combs since Cassie Ventura's explosive 2023 suit accusing him of sexual assault. In a statement to the paper, Combs's legal team said, "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor." "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason," Combs's legal team continued. "Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court." Read more from USA Today: As Diddy jury deliberates, new civil suit against music mogul alleges drugging and rape There is once again a large media presence outside the courthouse as the jury continues its deliberations. Combs's family members, including his mother and several children, were seen coming and going, as well as a supporter who displayed a T-shirt that reads "A freako is not a R.I.C.O," a reference to the racketeering charges the hip-hop mogul is facing. The jury requested to review Cassie Ventura's testimony about three incidents, including the 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel, and the events during and after her 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival. Hotel assault: Ventura told the court that Combs erupted when she tried to leave a "freak off" at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. on March 5, 2016, a violent assault that was caught on surveillance video and left her with bruises and a black eye. Combs later paid a hotel security guard $100,000 in cash for the surveillance footage. After it leaked, Combs publicly apologized for the assault. The defense did not deny it occurred, arguing that it was evidence of domestic violence and not the criminal behavior alleged by federal prosecutors. Cannes incident: Ventura told the court that during a 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival in France, Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht. Then, on a commercial flight back to the U.S., she said he pulled up explicit videos of her having sex and threatened to release them unless she agreed to another "freak off." Ventura said she felt trapped and arranged one for him upon their landing. The jury also asked to review testimony from Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified that he was paid to have sex with Ventura numerous times and witnessed Combs physically abuse her at a New York City hotel years before the InterContinental assault. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort, be sent to the jury. After a lengthy discussion with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian also said the jury will get the transcripts for Ventura's testimony about the days before and after the March 5, 2016, assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as a transcript of Ventura's testimony regarding her 2024 Instagram post in response to the release of the surveillance video. (In the post, she described the assault as "domestic violence.") Prosecutors objected to the inclusion of her testimony about the Instagram post, but Subramanian sided with the defense, which wanted it sent to the jury. In its latest note to the judge, the jury is asking for transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort. Specifically, the jury wants to review Ventura's testimony about the 2016 assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, which was caught on surveillance video; her flight back from the Cannes Film Festival with Combs, during which she said he played "freak off" videos and threatened to release them; and what she told the court, if anything, about the "freak offs" she took part in with Phillip. The panel also wants to review Phillip's testimony about a "freak off" he and Ventura had at the Essex Hotel in New York. (Phillip told the court that he witnessed Ventura "slumped over.") Lawyers for both sides are now reviewing the transcripts to identify the corresponding excerpts so Judge Arun Subramanian can provide them to the jury. The jury has sent another note to the judge, asking for transcripts of testimony from two witnesses: Cassie Ventura, Comb's ex-girlfriend, and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified he was paid to have sex with Ventura. It is the fifth note sent to the judge by the jury since deliberations began Monday. Such a request for transcripts is not unusual. The prosecution called 34 witnesses to testify over the course of six weeks. Janice Combs, Sean "Diddy" Combs's mother, has been a constant presence at her son's trial. She arrived at the courthouse early Tuesday for the second day of deliberations. Inside the courtroom, the defendant spoke briefly to his mom, who was seated in the gallery, before returning to his holding cell. 'Just relax, it's gonna be all right,' he said, according to a CNN report, adding that he loved her outfit. Judge Arun Subramanian discussed with the prosecution and defense attorneys how to answer the jury's question about whether giving drugs to someone who asked for them qualifies as distributing controlled substances. Subramanian sent a note to the jury saying, "In response to the jury's question, the Court refers the jury to page 37, lines 1 through 3 of its jury charge," or jury instructions. Subramanian quoted the lines he's referencing in the jury charge in his response letter: 'The word 'distribution' means actual, constructive or attempted transfer. To distribute simply means to deliver, to pass over or to hand over something to another person, or to cause it to be delivered, passed on or handed over to another. Distribution does not require a sale.' Judge Arun Subramanian is now on the bench. One of the notes the jury sent to Subramanian yesterday included a question about what qualifies as the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would answer the jury's question this morning. The jury is expected to return at 9 a.m. ET to resume its deliberations. Late Monday, the 12-member panel sent a note asking Judge Arun Subramanian to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian asked prosecutors and defense attorneys to meet and confer about how to respond to the jury's question. The judge told the jury he would respond this morning. There is no timetable for a decision. Subramanian told jurors that they can choose how long to deliberate each day. Yesterday, the jury stayed until 5 p.m. ET. Jury deliberations began late Monday morning after Judge Arun Subramanian gave the 12-member panel instructions on how to apply the law in deciding its verdict. Just an hour into its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Subramanian saying it was concerned that one juror can't follow his instructions. Subramanian sent a note back reminding jurors of "their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law." The jury sent another note asking the judge to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would address the issue this morning. It concluded deliberations after more than five hours without coming to a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. The 12-person group began deliberations around 11:30 a.m. ET this morning, and concluded for the day after just over five hours. The jury sent two more notes to Judge Arun Subramanian while deliberating Monday afternoon. Subramanian, who returned to the bench to read the notes, said that the first was a question, which he said he would answer tomorrow. The second was a note informing the court that the jury plans to end deliberations today at 5 p.m. ET. Earlier this afternoon, the jury sent the judge a note expressing concern that one of the jurors wasn't able to follow the judge's instructions on deliberations. After receiving a note from the jury saying it is concerned that one member of the panel can't follow his instructions, Judge Arun Subramanian sent the following reply: 'I received your note. I remind every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law. With that instruction in mind, please continue deliberating.' Subramanian also instructed jurors not to reveal any specifics about their deliberations in any future notes they send to the court. Just an hour into its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying it's concerned that one member of the panel can't follow his instructions. "We have a juror, No. 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor's instructions," read the note signed by the foreperson, who asked Subramanian to address the situation. The judge told lawyers for both sides to confer until 2 p.m. ET, when he will return to the bench to determine a response.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury says it has reached a verdict on 4 of 5 counts; deliberations to resume tomorrow
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against the hip-hop mogul. After nearly 12 hours of deliberations over two days, the 12-member panel sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian Tuesday afternoon saying it had reached a verdict on counts two, three, four and five — two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note read. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' After conferring with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian told the jury to continue deliberating the case. The panel will resume its deliberations on Wednesday morning. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to control his victims. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said during last week's closing arguments. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense attorney, argued that Combs is a 'swinger' and a drug abuser guilty of past domestic violence, but not the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' as prosecutors have portrayed him. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo told jurors. 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, CNN, NBC News and the USA Today. The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying that it will finish deliberations for today and will continue tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET. The group said it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs but will continue to deliberate the racketeering conspiracy charge. After Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and the defense team discussed the jury's last note about not reaching a verdict on the first count against Combs, Subramanian said he was going to tell the jury to keep deliberating. Subramanian also said he is going to tell the group that if they're done deliberating for the day and want to pick up tomorrow instead, they can send another note to him. When the jury entered the courtroom, Subramanin said, 'I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating." As the jury continues its deliberations over the racketeering charge against Combs, here is a review of all the criminal counts Combs is facing: Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy. If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1, who is Cassie Ventura. If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 1 and commercial sex workers. If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 2, who is "Jane." If convicted, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 2 and commercial sex workers. If convicted, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The jury has informed Judge Arun Subramanian that it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Combs. 'We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5," the note reads. "We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.' Count 1 is the racketeering conspiracy charge. Counts 2-5 are sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Lawyers for both the prosecution and defense told Subramanian that they want him to tell the jury to continue deliberations. The jury has sent another note to Judge Arun Subramanian. The panel has now sent the judge six notes since deliberations began on Monday. Combs and attorneys from both sides have gathered inside the courtroom. As deliberations began Monday in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, he was accused in a new civil lawsuit of drugging and raping a man, USA Today reports: In 2021, the man, then in his 20s, alleges in the suit that he met a security guard for one of Combs's parties while stopped at a gas station in Los Angeles. The guard invited him to a party that evening, where he says he drank a glass of champagne on arrival that he later suspected had been drugged. [...]In the suit, lawyers for the man also claim that during the party, while he searched for a place to lie down, he passed out and was awoken by someone unbuttoning his pants. When he asked what was going on, a voice, which the lawsuit claims belonged to Combs, responded, "You're about to get that Diddy love."When the man protested, saying he had a wife and children, Combs allegedly told him he was going to receive a great massage, before he felt himself being undressed, covered in some form of liquid and penetrated anally, per the suit. It's one of dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against Combs since Cassie Ventura's explosive 2023 suit accusing him of sexual assault. In a statement to the paper, Combs's legal team said, "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor." "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason," Combs's legal team continued. "Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court." Read more from USA Today: As Diddy jury deliberates, new civil suit against music mogul alleges drugging and rape There is once again a large media presence outside the courthouse as the jury continues its deliberations. Combs's family members, including his mother and several children, were seen coming and going, as well as a supporter who displayed a T-shirt that reads "A freako is not a R.I.C.O," a reference to the racketeering charges the hip-hop mogul is facing. The jury requested to review Cassie Ventura's testimony about three incidents, including the 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel, and the events during and after her 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival. Hotel assault: Ventura told the court that Combs erupted when she tried to leave a "freak off" at the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. on March 5, 2016, a violent assault that was caught on surveillance video and left her with bruises and a black eye. Combs later paid a hotel security guard $100,000 in cash for the surveillance footage. After it leaked, Combs publicly apologized for the assault. The defense did not deny it occurred, arguing that it was evidence of domestic violence and not the criminal behavior alleged by federal prosecutors. Cannes incident: Ventura told the court that during a 2013 trip to the Cannes Film Festival in France, Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht. Then, on a commercial flight back to the U.S., she said he pulled up explicit videos of her having sex and threatened to release them unless she agreed to another "freak off." Ventura said she felt trapped and arranged one for him upon their landing. The jury also asked to review testimony from Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified that he was paid to have sex with Ventura numerous times and witnessed Combs physically abuse her at a New York City hotel years before the InterContinental assault. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort, be sent to the jury. After a lengthy discussion with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian also said the jury will get the transcripts for Ventura's testimony about the days before and after the March 5, 2016, assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as a transcript of Ventura's testimony regarding her 2024 Instagram post in response to the release of the surveillance video. (In the post, she described the assault as "domestic violence.") Prosecutors objected to the inclusion of her testimony about the Instagram post, but Subramanian sided with the defense, which wanted it sent to the jury. In its latest note to the judge, the jury is asking for transcripts of testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip, a male escort. Specifically, the jury wants to review Ventura's testimony about the 2016 assault at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, which was caught on surveillance video; her flight back from the Cannes Film Festival with Combs, during which she said he played "freak off" videos and threatened to release them; and what she told the court, if anything, about the "freak offs" she took part in with Phillip. The panel also wants to review Phillip's testimony about a "freak off" he and Ventura had at the Essex Hotel in New York. (Phillip told the court that he witnessed Ventura "slumped over.") Lawyers for both sides are now reviewing the transcripts to identify the corresponding excerpts so Judge Arun Subramanian can provide them to the jury. The jury has sent another note to the judge, asking for transcripts of testimony from two witnesses: Cassie Ventura, Comb's ex-girlfriend, and Daniel Phillip, a male escort who testified he was paid to have sex with Ventura. It is the fifth note sent to the judge by the jury since deliberations began Monday. Such a request for transcripts is not unusual. The prosecution called 34 witnesses to testify over the course of six weeks. Janice Combs, Sean "Diddy" Combs's mother, has been a constant presence at her son's trial. She arrived at the courthouse early Tuesday for the second day of deliberations. Inside the courtroom, the defendant spoke briefly to his mom, who was seated in the gallery, before returning to his holding cell. 'Just relax, it's gonna be all right,' he said, according to a CNN report, adding that he loved her outfit. Judge Arun Subramanian discussed with the prosecution and defense attorneys how to answer the jury's question about whether giving drugs to someone who asked for them qualifies as distributing controlled substances. Subramanian sent a note to the jury saying, "In response to the jury's question, the Court refers the jury to page 37, lines 1 through 3 of its jury charge," or jury instructions. Subramanian quoted the lines he's referencing in the jury charge in his response letter: 'The word 'distribution' means actual, constructive or attempted transfer. To distribute simply means to deliver, to pass over or to hand over something to another person, or to cause it to be delivered, passed on or handed over to another. Distribution does not require a sale.' Judge Arun Subramanian is now on the bench. One of the notes the jury sent to Subramanian yesterday included a question about what qualifies as the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would answer the jury's question this morning. The jury is expected to return at 9 a.m. ET to resume its deliberations. Late Monday, the 12-member panel sent a note asking Judge Arun Subramanian to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian asked prosecutors and defense attorneys to meet and confer about how to respond to the jury's question. The judge told the jury he would respond this morning. There is no timetable for a decision. Subramanian told jurors that they can choose how long to deliberate each day. Yesterday, the jury stayed until 5 p.m. ET. Jury deliberations began late Monday morning after Judge Arun Subramanian gave the 12-member panel instructions on how to apply the law in deciding its verdict. Just an hour into its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Subramanian saying it was concerned that one juror can't follow his instructions. Subramanian sent a note back reminding jurors of "their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law." The jury sent another note asking the judge to clarify what constitutes the distribution of controlled substances. Subramanian said he would address the issue this morning. It concluded deliberations after more than five hours without coming to a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. The 12-person group began deliberations around 11:30 a.m. ET this morning, and concluded for the day after just over five hours. The jury sent two more notes to Judge Arun Subramanian while deliberating Monday afternoon. Subramanian, who returned to the bench to read the notes, said that the first was a question, which he said he would answer tomorrow. The second was a note informing the court that the jury plans to end deliberations today at 5 p.m. ET. Earlier this afternoon, the jury sent the judge a note expressing concern that one of the jurors wasn't able to follow the judge's instructions on deliberations. After receiving a note from the jury saying it is concerned that one member of the panel can't follow his instructions, Judge Arun Subramanian sent the following reply: 'I received your note. I remind every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law. With that instruction in mind, please continue deliberating.' Subramanian also instructed jurors not to reveal any specifics about their deliberations in any future notes they send to the court. Just an hour into its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying it's concerned that one member of the panel can't follow his instructions. "We have a juror, No. 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor's instructions," read the note signed by the foreperson, who asked Subramanian to address the situation. The judge told lawyers for both sides to confer until 2 p.m. ET, when he will return to the bench to determine a response.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Defense delivers closing arguments in sex trafficking case
The defense is delivering its closing argument in the sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Friday, a day after federal prosecutors portrayed him as the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' who abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs,' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors at the end of a nearly five-hour presentation. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty.' The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including the New York Times, CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post. The courtroom is taking a break for lunch. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo will continue his closing argument around 1:45 p.m. ET. The defense is trying to establish a different narrative for the security video showing Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in March 2016. The prosecution argued that this video footage showcases Combs hurting Ventura in the hotel hallway because she left a "freak off" and he wanted her back in the room. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo showed the video to the jury and pointed out that Combs grabs a phone from Ventura. Agnifilo argued that the fight was not over sex but because of the phone. (Agnifilo did not show any of the later security footage where Combs becomes violent with Ventura after taking the phone.) The defense has argued throughout the trial that Combs had taken a bad batch of drugs before this incident. "He stays in a towel in a public hallway way too long," Agnifilo pointed out, suggesting Combs was not in the right headspace. Agnifilo then argued that once Combs got the phone, Ventura later did come back to the hotel room because it "was not a scary place." He also referenced a sexual text exchange the couple had before they met at the hotel that day. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo recounted the relationship between Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie Ventura, again arguing that Ventura is not a victim. "They are swingers," Agnifilo said about the couple. He went on to say that the "sex trafficking" charge would apply if Combs had made money off of selling Ventura into prostitution but argued that it didn't happen. 'Your likes and their likes become one,' Agnifilo continued, referring to Ventura's involvement in "freak offs." "That's actually what love is, and that's what's going on with Cassie.' "She is not clutching her pearls," he added as he read the jury some sexually explicit messages Ventura sent Combs. 'There was nothing that would say to him this was against her will." Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said his client "obviously has a drug problem," but pushed back on the prosecution's argument that Combs intended to distribute and sell the drugs. "Distribution as part of a racketeering conspiracy, and there is no evidence of that," Agnifilo argued. "This is personal-use drugs." Resuming his closing argument, Combs's lawyer Marc Agnifilo moved on to addressing allegations from "Mia," a former assistant who testified under a pseudonym. She described a harrowing and 'toxic' work environment dominated by Combs's 'unpredictable and terrifying' behavior, telling the court that he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times. Agnifilo argued that the sex was consensual. 'There was not any unwanted sexual contact between Mr. Combs and Mia,' Agnifilo said. Agnifilo also denied the prosecution's assertion that Mia was a victim of "forced labor." "Mia loved working with Sean Combs; she loved the work she did," Agnifilo argued. "Forced labor is when you want to be out of there as soon as possible.' The defense displayed a photo Mia posted on social media showing her smiling along with several of Combs's employees. "This is your racketeering enterprise, folks,' Agnifilo said sarcastically. During the break when jurors were out of the room, lead prosecutor Maurene Comey told Judge Arun Subramanian that the prosecution thought the defense's arguments were too sarcastic about the government's charges against Combs. "Respectfully, I think I'm allowed to be sarcastic," defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said. In response to the prosecution's complaint, Judge Subramanian told Agnifilo not to question or speculate why the government was pursuing its charges against Combs, calling the situation "grossly improper." When jurors returned to the courtroom, the judge reminded the group, "I will be instructing you on the law in this case." Judge Arun Subramanian is back on the bench after the court took a break. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo spoke for around 94 minutes before the break. The defense said its closing argument should be around three hours long. Judge Arun Subramanian has called for a 15-minute midmorning break. The defense will continue with its closing argument when court resumes. After mentioning Capricorn Clark's testimony claims that she was kidnapped by Combs and taken to rapper Kid Cudi's house at gunpoint in December 2011, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo addressed the prosecution's allegations that Combs was behind Kid Cudi's Porsche catching on fire in early 2012. Kid Cudi testified that his Porsche was set on fire with a Molotov cocktail after Combs learned that he and Cassie Ventura were dating. Prosecutor Christy Slavik reminded the jury of Kid Cudi's testimony about the Porsche yesterday and said, "Of course, the defendant was behind this." Agnifilo argued that the small DNA profile that was found on the Molotov cocktail bottle was "consistent with a female." 'There is no evidence that he had anything to do with the Porsche,' he said. Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense lawyer, started to comb through some of the prosecution's key witnesses and their testimonies, reminding the jury members that they are allowed to question or disregard testimonies if they don't trust them. Agnifilo brought up Capricorn Clark, whom the prosecution argued had been a victim of being kidnapped by Combs twice while working as his personal assistant. The first alleged experience was in 2004, after Clark had started working for Combs. Clark testified she had to undergo five days of lie detector tests to prove she hadn't stolen jewelry and was repeatedly told by the test administrator that if she was caught lying, "they're going to throw you in the East River." But Agnifilo emphasized that Clark testified she went home after the lie detector tests every day. "It's not a kidnapping," he said, before pointing out that the jurors had spent hours watching the trial for the last seven weeks. "Anyone feel kidnapped?" The second alleged incident was in 2011. Clark testified that Combs came to her home with a gun and brought her to Kid Cudi's house, but Agnifilo emphasized that Kid Cudi testified Clark did not mention any guns when she called him and Cassie Ventura that day. 'Had Capricorn said 'gun,' Cudi would've remembered 'gun.' You're not gonna forget 'gun,'' Agnifilo argued. He also reiterated his earlier point that Clark, like most of Combs's employees, loved working for him and would willingly do anything for him. 'If he asked her to take a trip to the moon, she'd go, and he knows that. He doesn't need a gun." Moments after conceding his client was "guilty" of assaulting Cassie Ventura, Combs's lawyer Marc Agnifilo called Ventura a "gangster" for using a burner phone to contact Kid Cudi while she was seeing both men. 'Cassie's keeping it gangster!' Agnifilo said. "She played them both.' During her relationship with Kid Cudi, Ventura repeatedly lied to Combs, Agnifilo said, arguing that it showed she was "not afraid of him." Marc Agnifilo, Combs's defense attorney, used part of his closing argument to mock the raids on Combs's homes. In its indictment, the prosecut said that federal agents recovered guns, drugs and 'more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.' 'Boxes of Astroglide, taken off the streets, whoo! I feel better already,' Agnifilo said. 'Thank goodness for the special response team," he added. "They found the Astroglide, they found the baby oil, they found like five valium pills. Way to go, fellas.' Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo argued to the jury that Cassie Ventura is not part of a "one-sided, oppressive" relationship with Combs, as the prosecution argued, but ultimately the financial "winner" of the breakup. "She is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million," Agnifilo said. Ventura won a $20 million civil settlement from Combs after filing a lawsuit against him in November 2023, and is expecting a $10 million settlement from the owner of the InterContinental hotel where she was assaulted by Combs in 2016. Agnifilo called Combs and Ventura's relationship 'a great modern love story,' and said that this case isn't about crime. "We're here because of money," he said. In his closing argument, Marc Agnifilo acknowledged that Combs is "guilty" of domestic violence, but that's not what he's been charged with. Multiple women, including Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, testified that he beat them repeatedly. And a key piece of evidence for prosecutors was a surveillance video that showed Combs assaulting Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. "We own the domestic violence — I hope you guys know that," Agnifilo said. 'It happened. That's not charged. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo said. 'He didn't commit racketeering — he just didn't.' The lawyer added: 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo argued that Combs's employees were loyal to him because 'Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to be. Very hard to be. He is a self-made, successful, Black entrepreneur.' Even though multiple former employees have testified in the trial, Agnifilo argued Combs had been integrating DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — into his businesses since he was 24 years old. 'Did they always like him? No way. Let's not even go there,' Agnifilo said about the former employees. 'But they loved him. They didn't want to leave him.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead attorney, began his closing argument by telling jurors that the case presented by federal prosecutors was "false" and "exaggerated." Agnifilo said the evidence does not show criminal behavior but rather 'a lifestyle — you want to call it swingers.' 'Whatever you want to call it, that's what it is," Agnifilo said. "That's what the evidence shows." Judge Arun Subramanian is on the bench, members of the jury have been seated, and Combs's lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, is delivering the closing argument for the defense. Combs's sister, Keisha Combs, is sitting with their mom, Janice Combs, in the family section of the courtroom. Combs's three teenage daughters, Chance and twins D'Lila and Jessie, are also in the spectators' gallery. The defense will deliver its closing argument to the jury at 9 a.m. ET. Combs's lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said he expects his presentation to take about three hours. The prosecution — which took nearly five hours to deliver its closing argument — will have a chance to give a rebuttal. Judge Arun Subramanian will then give the jury its instructions. Subramanian said the jury will determine its own schedule for deliberations, which could begin as soon as Friday afternoon. The prosecution delivered a lengthy closing argument. For nearly five hours, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors how Combs operated as the "leader of a criminal enterprise," using "power, violence and fear" to force women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs.' Slavik said Combs exhibited a "pattern" of coercion, using money, drugs and threats to control his victims, including former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman identified by the pseudonym "Jane." The prosecutor recounted their harrowing testimony detailing years of physical abuse and sexual assault. Slavik outlined the five counts Combs faces, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now,' Slavik said. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty."