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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury reaches verdict on all 5 counts after hours of deliberations
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs said Wednesday morning it had reached a verdict on all 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 jury sent a note informing Judge Arun Subramanian that it has reached a verdict on all five counts in the case against Combs. Before returning to his holding cell to await the verdict, Combs turned to his family members in the gallery and joined them in a short prayer. 'God, please watch over my family," Combs said, bowing his head to pray. 'Bless the jurors," he added. Neither the judge nor the jury was present. Family members responded with "Amen" and clapped. The 12 members of the panel resumed their deliberations on Wednesday morning, a day after informing Judge Arun Subramanian that the 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. 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.'
Yahoo
a day ago
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury says it has reached a verdict on 4 of 5 counts
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him. 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 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 planned to tell the jury to continue 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, CNN, NBC News and the USA Today. 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. Shortly after beginning its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian informing the court that it has selected juror No. 5 to be its foreperson. The foreperson serves as a chairperson or head juror, tasked with facilitating discussions during deliberations, signing any written note that the panel sends to the court and answering when asked by the judge if the jury has reached a verdict. Before court was adjourned for deliberations, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked Judge Arun Subramanian if Combs could take books back to his holding cell while he awaits the verdict. Subramanian granted the request. Throughout the trial, Combs has been seen in court holding a copy of The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, which is described by its publisher as "an engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity." After the jury left the courtroom to begin deliberations, Judge Arun Subramanian commended the attorneys for both the prosecution and defense for what he called "great lawyering." 'The case was really exceptionally tried by both sides in this case,' he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Jury says it has reached a verdict on 4 of 5 counts
The jury in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs says it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him. 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 — 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. After conferring with lawyers from both sides, Subramanian planned to tell the jury to continue 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 prosecution rested its case after presenting over a month of graphic testimony from nearly three dozen witnesses. The defense rested without calling anyone — including Combs — to the witness stand. '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 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. Shortly after beginning its deliberations, the jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian informing the court that it has selected juror No. 5 to be its foreperson. The foreperson serves as a chairperson or head juror, tasked with facilitating discussions during deliberations, signing any written note that the panel sends to the court and answering when asked by the judge if the jury has reached a verdict. Before court was adjourned for deliberations, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked Judge Arun Subramanian if Combs could take books back to his holding cell while he awaits the verdict. Subramanian granted the request. Throughout the trial, Combs has been seen in court holding a copy of The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, which is described by its publisher as "an engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity." After the jury left the courtroom to begin deliberations, Judge Arun Subramanian commended the attorneys for both the prosecution and defense for what he called "great lawyering." 'The case was really exceptionally tried by both sides in this case,' he said.


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Diddy sex trafficking trial jury reaches partial verdict after 6 weeks of testimony and 2 days of deliberation
A PARTIAL verdict has been reached in the federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. Judge Arun Subramanian received a letter from the jury at around 4:40 pm informing the court that the jury has reached a verdict on some of the charges. 4 4 4 4 In closing arguments, prosecutors described Combs as the "leader of a criminal enterprise" who used his expansive "wealth, power, violence, and fear to get what he wanted." "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "It was his kingdom. Everyone was there to serve him." The core evidence of the prosecution's case was the disturbing and graphic nature of the drug-fueled "freak-offs" that at times Combs allegedly coerced his ex-girlfriends to participate in with male escorts. Slavik described to jurors how Combs forced his former lovers Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura and " Jane" into participating in the punishing sex marathons and with the help of an inner circle of "loyal lieutenants" covered up the alleged crimes. Ventura and Jane were sometimes required to perform the lewd acts, which were also called "hotel nights and wild king nights," while they were hurting from urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to prosecutors. Ventura testified that the choreographed encounters, which she said were directed by Combs, could last days, with the longest she ever participated in being four days. On the other hand, Combs' defense team slammed the prosecution's case as an attack on "your bedroom" and one's sex life. 'They go into the man's bedroom. They go into the man's most private life. Where is the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life. That's the crime scene," Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lead defense attorney, said during closing arguments. Agnifilo summarized the seven-week trial as a "tale of two trials," arguing one side is the one told by the evidence of the case, by witnesses, videos, and text messages, and the other was a "badly, badly, exaggerated" story told by prosecutors. The defense attorney argued the sexual encounters involving Combs, Ventura, "Jane," and male escorts were consensual, and called the "freak-offs," which were sometimes video recorded, "homemade porn." "You want to call it swingers, you want to call it threesomes, whatever you want to call it, that is what it is - that's what the evidence shows," Agnifilo told the jury. "He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do," Agnifilo told the jury.

Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Diddy used 'power, violence and fear,' prosecutors say in closing arguments
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs used 'power, violence and fear' to run a criminal enterprise, prosecutors said Thursday as they walked jurors through a 'road map' of testimony and evidence during closing arguments in the music mogul's sex trafficking trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik led the start of the government's five-hour presentation by outlining the charges against Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sex trafficking, one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. 'He doesn't take no for an answer,' Slavik said of Combs — a refrain she repeated often during her summation. Combs, who has seemed quite at ease throughout much of his trial, appeared uncomfortable and nervous at the start of closing arguments on Thursday. If convicted of the most serious charges, he could face life in prison. The prosecution, which spent more than six weeks in Manhattan federal court presenting evidence of Combs's alleged crimes, stressed to jurors that he did not need an army of co-conspirators to be found guilty of racketeering and that 'one single' act of alleged coercion against an accuser would be enough to convict him of sex trafficking. Combs's defense, which will offer its closing remarks on Friday before the jury enters deliberations, has argued that the accusers had their own motives and were willing participants in his drug-addled sex parties known as 'freak-offs.' Here are the arguments the prosecution made for each criminal count Combs is facing. To find Combs guilty of racketeering conspiracy, prosecutors said jurors can have their pick of a host of crimes, which include drug distribution, arson, bribery, sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution, forced labor, witness tampering and obstruction. While the charge of racketeering conspiracy is often associated 'with the mafia or organized crime,' Slavik said, it also firmly applies to the type of enforcement being carried out by Combs and his loyalists. The panel needs to find there was an agreement between Combs and another member of the enterprise that 'someone would commit two individual acts in any of these categories,' she said. For example, if jurors believe Combs and his staffers distributed drugs to his alleged victims at least two times, he could be found guilty of racketeering conspiracy. Drug distribution is one of the more 'straightforward' offenses of Combs's alleged criminal enterprise, the government said, as it ticked off a list of all the drugs used at freak-offs — including cocaine, meth, ketamine, oxycodone, tusi, Xanax, MDMA and GHB. Slavik called these drugs 'an essential ingredient' of the sex parties, and the means by which Combs kept his ex-girlfriends — Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman identified by the court-approved alias, 'Jane' — compliant and awake during these sexual encounters. Combs 'fed them drugs for years,' Slavik said. 'And you know he didn't get those drugs on his own.' Combs and his inner circle procured these drugs by enlisting his assistants and security staff, Slavik said. 'Giving drugs to someone else is distribution,' she added. 'Period.' Prosecutors also consider Ventura, Jane and two former employees to be victims of forced labor. Both Ventura and Jane were coerced or forced to participate in sleep-deprived, days-long freak-offs, even when they were in pain or just not feeling up to it, Slavik said. 'This was work.' She also pointed to allegations of kidnapping, recounting testimony from Combs's former employee, Capricorn Clark, who said she was hauled into a room in New York in 2004 daily for a week where she was given a polygraph and threatened as Combs and his entourage tried to uncover who took valuable jewelry from him. Clark had also testified about being forced to accompany a furious Combs to the home of rapper Scott Mescudi — known by his stage name Kid Cudi — who was having a relationship with Ventura. An arson charge was also highlighted by the prosecution, stemming from a 2012 incident in which Mescudi's car blew up in his driveway. 'The evidence and basic logic' should lead jurors to conclude that Combs was behind the arson, Slavik argued. 'For starters, he literally said he was going to blow up Kid Cudi's car,' she said, citing Ventura's testimony during the trial. And Combs committed bribery when he and his deputies paid a hotel security guard $100,000 to bury a video depicting his assault of Ventura in 2016, Slavik said, waving off the defense team's argument that the video purchase was an attempt to control public relations. 'We're not asking you to find that every instance, every freak-off, was an instance of sex trafficking,' Slavik said. Instead, she said the jury can convict Combs of sex-trafficking if they believe he coerced one of his accusers even a single time. Combs's freak-offs 'were as regular as his abuse of Cassie,' Slavik told jurors as she homed in on the defendant's decade-long relationship with the singer, who is central to the government's case. Slavik said these sexual encounters with male escorts and girlfriends followed a 'set playbook.' Ventura may have agreed to the first freak-off, the prosecutor said, but not the many subsequent ones. She referenced Ventura's testimony that Combs forced Ventura to have sex with men while she suffered from infections, and that he directed escorts to commit certain sexual acts against her will. 'It was a turn-on for him,' Slavik said. 'Humiliating for her.' She then brought up a slide focusing on three examples of alleged sex trafficking. The first: a freak-off that took place at the InterContinental Hotel in March 2016, when Combs was caught on camera attacking Ventura as she tried to leave the hotel room. Another clear example of Combs sex-trafficking Ventura was the time he made her perform a freak-off after he attacked her, according to the prosecution's closing argument. A male entertainer hired for that freak-off, Daniel Phillip, testified that he saw Combs throw a bottle at Ventura's head and drag her by her hair into a bedroom, where he heard slapping sounds. Phillip said Combs then told Ventura to resume the freak-off. 'He was demanding that Cassie have sex with a paid escort,' Slavik said. 'That's sex trafficking.' Further, when Combs allegedly showed Ventura sex tapes of herself on a flight from Cannes, France, to New York City and threatened to release them to her family, he was coercing her into a freak-off, Slavik argued. When they landed, Combs and Ventura had a freak-off that very night. The government also walked through Combs's relationship with Jane, who dated the music producer from 2021 to 2024. Slavik broke down their relationship into four stages for the jury: a period of 'love bombing,' during which Combs showered Jane with attention, gifts and trips, followed by the introduction of 'hotel nights,' or freak-offs. Then, later in the relationship, came the period when Combs used the home he leased for her as 'leverage,' Slavik argued. The final stage of their relationship was the aftermath of Ventura's lawsuit, she said. Hotel nights with Combs were never about Jane's sexual desires, despite her attempts to exert some control over them, Slavik said, pointing to Jane's testimony about why she accepted the drugs Combs gave her during these encounters: 'I didn't want it to feel too real,' Combs's ex-girlfriend said. 'It just made things easier.' The prosecutor also pointed to a clip of a freak-off the jury had seen earlier in the trial, when Jane expressed her wish that a male entertainer wear a condom. 'You heard it in the recording, 'ain't no condoms around here,'' Slavik said, quoting Combs. Slavik said it was important that Combs was planning freak-offs without Jane's knowledge even as he was promising her romantic dinners and shopping sprees. Combs didn't make good on those promises and never intended to, the prosecutor argued, thus coercing Jane's participation by fraud. Slavik also described Combs beating and choking Jane during a fight last summer, forcing her to flee her home shoeless and without a phone. After she returned, bruised and in pain, Combs allegedly forced Jane to have sex with an escort. Combs told Jane she would not 'ruin' his night and demanded she get dressed up, Slavik said. Slavik said Combs knew he was again committing the very crime he was being investigated for and that he intended to continue trafficking Jane. She acknowledged video evidence showing Jane enjoying herself during 'freak-offs,' but she contended that 'what those videos really show is that she was super, super high.' And Slavik reminded jurors of Combs's alleged effort to silence Jane as his reputation was crumbling in the wake of sexual assault allegations. 'I just needed to tell you that I need your friendship,' Combs said in a call he recorded in November 2023 with a tearful Jane, played during the prosecution's closing arguments. Slavik also walked jurors through the federal indictment's two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution: one for each alleged victim — Ventura and Jane. The government has a trove of records supporting these charges — including bank statements showing Combs or his associates purchasing flights for alleged male escorts, airline records, hotel reservations and bank deposits, as well as communications with the men or escort services themselves. It 'doesn't matter' that the men consented to these sex acts, or even that Ventura and Jane sometimes did, Slavik said. 'It's still a crime.' Kingsberry reported from Washington.