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Daily Record
02-07-2025
- Daily Record
What happens next in Diddy trial as jurors fail to agree on racketeering charge?
The fate of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is expected to be revealed this week as the 12 jurors in his sex-trafficking trial continue their deliberations in court. The 55-year-old is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs, who denies all charges, could spend the rest of his life behind bars if he is found guilty. During the trial at the Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan, New York, which began almost two months ago on May 5, the jury heard from 34 witnesses - including celebrities like Kid Cudi and Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie. Deliberations began on Monday, June 30, and the trial appears to be nearing its conclusion after the jury reached a partial verdict on the celebrity rapper. On Tuesday, July 1, the jury made their decision on four of the five counts. This led to a partial verdict, and a final decision is expected within the coming days. The jury managed to decide on four of the five charges – counts two, three, four, and five, but is unable to decide on count one. The counts against Diddy are: Count 1 - Racketeering conspiracy Count 2 - Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie) Count 3 - Transportation to engage in prostitution relating to Victim 1 (Cassie) and commercial sex workers Count 4 - Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion(relating to Jane Doe – Victim 2) Count 5 - Transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to Victim 2 (Jane Doe) and commercial sex workers Count one carries the biggest sentence, life in prison. Meanwhile, counts two and four have a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life. Counts three and five carry a maximum sentence of ten years. What does Diddy's racketeering charge mean? Racketeering conspiracy is a charge under the US Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The US government introduced this law in 1970 to take down crime gangs. The aim was to tie crime bosses to the offences of those working under them. In the context of US law, 'racketeering' generally refers to the illegal activity of a criminal organisation. But the RICO act defines "racketeering activity" as any act or threat that involves an array of different crimes like bribery, arson, extortion, kidnapping and murder. 'Conspiracy' is when two or more people agree to commit a crime and then take steps to further the plan, according to the US Department of Justice website. Why was Diddy charged with racketeering conspiracy? The prosecution accused Mr Combs of using his business, the Combs Enterprise, to violently coerce and blackmail women to perform sex acts, among other criminal acts. The law allows prosecutors to combine related offences that otherwise would have had to be prosecuted separately in different states, the US Department of Justice website explains. It also provides a way for prosecutors to ensure their case "adequately reflects the nature and extent of the criminal conduct involved in a way that prosecution only on the underlying charges would not". In this case, it allowed the prosecutors to use evidence they would not have been able to use if Mr Combs was charged only with sex trafficking. To secure a guilty verdict on a RICO charge, prosecutors must show that: Members of a so-called enterprise, or group of people engaged in a common purpose, committed or planned to commit two other crimes in connection with the enterprise within a 10-year period. What happens next in the trial? A unanimous decision is required for a conviction. Both prosecution and defence lawyers wanted the judge to encourage the jury to continue deliberating and reach a verdict. Marc Agnifilo, representing Diddy, said the defence would like the judge to bring out the jury and instruct them to continue their deliberation. They are currently working on the wording of the instruction. Significantly, two notes were passed to the presiding judge from the jury. The first note expressed a juror's difficulty in understanding the 61-page instructions which were given by the judge before deliberations began. The jury's note-passing could actually be a positive sign for Combs, suggests Mitch Epner, a New York-based lawyer and former prosecutor. He told the BBC: "First, it is unusual for the jurors to send a note to the judge this early, other than asking for logistical help. Second, this note indicates that there may already be a breakdown in the deliberative process." Alternatively, the jury may be allowed to deliver a partial verdict. This means a jury giving a verdict on the charges they did agree on - while a mistrial may be declared for the other charges they didn't agree on. The prosecution would have the option of running a retrial on the charge they couldn't agree on, the Legal Information Institute's website says. If the jury finds Mr Combs not guilty on the other charges, the prosecution might be more inclined to push ahead with a retrial on the racketeering charge, according to ABC News. But if the jury finds Mr Combs guilty and the prosecution is satisfied with the length of his jail sentence, it might be less inclined to go for a retrial. The prospect of a retrial would likely be highly distressing to prosecution witnesses. If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. 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ABC News
02-07-2025
- ABC News
What does Diddy's racketeering charge mean? What happens next in his trial?
Jurors in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs have told the New York court they are unable to agree on the most serious charge he's facing. They agreed on four of the five charges against him but, after two days of deliberations, they're still divided on one charge. A jury can only give a verdict on a charge if all 12 jurors agree. Here's what that means for the trial and what we can expect next. The jury is still deliberating on one charge. Prosecutors, Mr Combs's legal team and Judge Arun Subramanian agreed that it was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on every charge. Mr Subramanian told the jury to continue deliberating on the remaining charge. The court has not heard their verdict on the other four charges. Jurors have told the court they have agreed on the trafficking and prostitution charges. But the jurors can't agree on the racketeering conspiracy charge. "We have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides," they said in a note. The racketeering charge is the most serious charge against Mr Combs — it carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. It's a charge under the US Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) The US government introduced this law in 1970 to take down crime gangs — the aim was to tie crime bosses to the offences of those working under them. Here's an explanation of "racketeering" and "conspiracy" in the context of US law: The prosecution accused Mr Combs of using his business, the Combs Enterprise, to violently coerce and blackmail women to perform sex acts, among other criminal acts. The law allows prosecutors to combine related offences that otherwise would have had to be prosecuted separately in different states, the US Department of Justice website explains. It also provides a way for prosecutors to ensure their case "adequately reflects the nature and extent of the criminal conduct involved in a way that prosecution only on the underlying charges would not". And, in this case, it allowed the prosecutors to use evidence they would not have been able to use if Mr Combs was charged only with sex trafficking. "RICO allows you to bring in the bigger picture," former US prosecutor Bobby Taghavi said. "[That includes] his lifestyle, his power, his anger issues, the way people had to obey him — the 360-degree view of his conduct." During the trial, the court heard allegations of separate incidents of abuse and other criminal behaviour, but the law focuses on a broader system of criminal acts. In order to secure a guilty verdict on a RICO charge, prosecutors must show that: Members of a so-called enterprise, or group of people engaged in a common purpose, committed or planned to commit two other crimes in connection with the enterprise within a 10-year period We don't know yet. All we know is that the jury agreed on four charges. But we don't know whether they have found Mr Combs guilty or not guilty of those charges. The jury may be allowed to deliver a partial verdict. A partial verdict means a jury giving a verdict on the charges they did agree on — while a mistrial may be declared for the other charges they didn't agree on. The prosecution would have the option of running a retrial on the charge they couldn't agree on, the Legal Information Institute's website says. It's difficult to predict what the prosecution would do without knowing the jury's verdict on the other charges. If the jury finds Mr Combs not guilty on the other charges, the prosecution might be more inclined to push ahead with a retrial on the racketeering charge. But if the jury finds Mr Combs guilty and the prosecution is satisfied with the length of his jail sentence, it might be less inclined to go for a retrial. The prospect of a retrial would likely be highly distressing to prosecution witnesses who went through the ordeal of having to relive alleged traumatic assaults in such a public setting. No. A person is only sentenced after the jury has delivered a guilty verdict. And, at the moment, we still don't know if the jury has found Mr Combs guilty or not guilty. Mr Combs is currently behind bars because he was denied bail ahead of the trial — not because he's serving a prison sentence. Currently, New York time — which is called Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) — 14 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). So when it's 9am in Sydney, it's 7pm in New York. This means that any major updates from the trial will probably come either very late at night or early in the morning here in Australia.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- ABC News
The jury is deliberating on the fate of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Here's a recap of the trial
Warning: This story contains details of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Seven weeks after it began, the prosecution and the defence have rested their cases in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Now the jury has retired to consider their verdict. Here's a recap of the trial and what to expect. His trial began seven weeks ago on May 12. Mr Combs was arrested in New York in September and was kept behind bars until his trial after being denied bail three times. The jury is now deliberating on their verdict. This is done in secret. The 12 jurors must decide whether the prosecution — the legal team trying to convict Mr Combs — proved all elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. That means the evidence must be so clear that a reasonable person would have no doubt about the defendant's guilt. All 12 jurors must agree to convict on each count. He is defending five charges in this criminal trial: The racketeering count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sex trafficking has a maximum of 15 years in prison, while the prostitution charge's longest jail term is 10 years. Mr Combs pleaded guilty to all five charges. Racketeering generally refers to the illegal activity of a criminal organisation — think a crime gang or a dodgy business. In this case, the prosecution is accusing Mr Combs of using his business, the Combs Enterprise, to violently coerce and blackmail women to perform sex acts, among other criminal acts. The US law Mr Combs is charged with breaking was created in the 70s and was aimed at taking down crime gangs. Called the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the idea was to tie the leader of a gang to the crimes of those working under them. It's unusual for the law to apply in a case about sex trafficking, legal experts told Reuters. But former US prosecutor Bobby Taghavi said it allowed the prosecution to paint a more compelling picture of Mr Combs's alleged criminal activity. "RICO allows you to bring in the bigger picture," Mr Taghavi said. "[That includes] his lifestyle, his power, his anger issues the way people had to obey him — the 360-degree view of his conduct." It puts the focus not on individual acts, but on a broader alleged system of abuse. And it's not the first time this law has been used in a sex trafficking case. R Kelly was convicted for racketeering and sex trafficking in 2022, when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The prosecution called a total of 34 witnesses to testify in court. But there were two main witnesses — both being former girlfriends of Mr Combs: Ms Ventura was questioned in the witness box for four days while heavily pregnant with her third child. She was in a relationship with Mr Combs from 2007 to 2018. The singer, who waived her rights to privacy, told the court she felt pressured to engage in hundreds of marathon sexual encounters known as "freak-offs". "[A freak-off] basically entails the hiring of an escort and setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean," she said. "The performance involved … Sean being able to watch me with the other person and direct us with what we were doing sexually." Ms Ventura said the encounters continued because, "I just didn't feel like I had much of a choice". When asked what she meant, Ms Ventura said she feared both blackmail and physical violence. The next day, Ms Ventura said she felt "trapped" by Mr Combs. She said Mr Combs threatened to release explicit videos from the freak-offs when he got angry or upset with her. She also detailed multiple times when she said Mr Combs had been violent towards her and her friends. This included allegations of Mr Combs hitting one of her friend's head with a hammer and threatening to blow up Kid Cudi's car after learning Ms Ventura was dating the rapper. She also detailed multiple times Mr Combs attacked her, including an assault in a Los Angeles hotel — footage of which was leaked to US broadcaster CNN. Ms Ventura said Mr Combs raped her on her living room floor after they broke up in 2018. 'Jane' was questioned for six days. She was frequently with Mr Combs from 2021 until his arrest in September last year. Jane told the court about the sexual performances she labelled "hotel nights", saying that she was putting them into perspective after beginning therapy three months ago. She recounted how Mr Combs pushed her to continue having sex with men while he watched and ignored her signals to stop. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 The longest sessions lasted three-and-a-half days, while most went on for about 24 to 30 hours. She said she repeatedly told Mr Combs she didn't want to have sex with other men — pleading with him, "I'm not an animal. I need a break" — but that he kept pressuring her. Jane said she felt "obligated" in part because he paid her rent. She wiped away tears as she recounted the many ill effects of hotel nights, including constant back pain, frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and soreness in her genitals and pelvic areas. In an audio recording of one of the encounters, Jane asked a man to wear a condom during her first hotel night, but Mr Combs "guilt tripped me out of it", she said. "It wasn't something he wanted to see," she said. She told the court that last year Mr Combs put her in a chokehold, punched her in the face and forced her into an encounter with a sex worker. Rapper Kid Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, was among the prosecution's witnesses. He told the court about several incidents, including that he was sure the accused was behind the firebombing of his car. Mr Mescudi said his car was damaged by fire while parked in his driveway and a Molotov cocktail was found on the passenger seat. Earlier in the trial, Ms Ventura said Mr Combs threatened to blow up Mr Mescudi's car after discovering the pair were dating. Eddy Garcia, a security guard at the hotel where Mr Combs assaulted Ms Ventura, was called to testify. He told the court Mr Combs gave him a bag of $US100,000 ($152,000) in cash for what he thought was the only copy of surveillance footage of him attacking Ms Ventura. Mr Garcia signed a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement, shown in court, that required he pay $US1 million if he breached the deal. At the time he said he was making $US10.50 an hour. A former personal assistant to Mr Combs testified under a pseudonym. Going by the name of "Mia", the woman worked for Mr Combs for eight years, telling the court about escalating sexual assaults. She said Mr Combs put his hand up her dress and forcibly kissed her at his 40th birthday party in 2009. Mia said Mr Combs forced her to perform oral sex while she helped him pack for a trip She said he raped her in guest quarters at his Los Angeles home in 2010 after climbing into her bed. "I couldn't tell him 'no' about anything," Mia said, telling jurors she felt "terrified and confused and ashamed and scared" when Combs raped her. The assaults, she said, were unpredictable: "always random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out where I would think they would never happen again". She said if she hadn't been called to testify, "I was going to die with this. I didn't want anyone to know ever". His lawyers said her claims were false. Towards the end of the trial, jurors were shown clips from videos described by the prosecution as "explicit". These clips were shown only to the jurors and parties of the trial because of their graphic nature. Jurors listened to the clips with headphones and watched the video on screens that were not visible to the many spectators in the courtroom. Prosecutors said the events were proof of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. They argued that Mr Combs coerced his employees, associates and even his girlfriends to recruit and arrange flights for sex workers. And they said his workers obtained drugs, stocked hotel rooms with baby oil, lubricant, condoms, candles and liquor and delivered cash. One of Mr Combs's lawyers said the videos were "powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion". After the prosecution rested its case, Mr Combs was asked to confirm that he was not going to testify. Mr Combs said he "thoroughly" discussed the matter with his lawyers before deciding not to put himself forward for cross-examination. "That is my decision, your honour," he said. Shortly after this, the defence presented its case, which took less than an hour. Lawyers for Mr Combs acknowledged he was occasionally violent in domestic relationships but argued the "freak-offs" were consensual. They've said there was nothing criminal about Mr Combs and his long-time girlfriends occasionally bringing in a third person to their relationships as part of a "swingers" lifestyle. They presented the case without calling any witnesses to testify — defendants in US criminal cases are not required to present evidence. Instead, his legal team sought to undercut the credibility of his accusers through cross-examination during the prosecution's case. They seized on inconsistencies in witness accounts, highlighted accusers' willingness to continue seeing him and warm messages they exchanged with him after alleged abuse. They read out text messages Ms Ventura sent Mr Combs during their decade-long relationship. On of those included a message from 2012, when Ms Ventura told Mr Combs, "besides making love, talking to you is my favourite thing". Five years later, Ms Ventura told Mr Combs in a series of messages that she missed him, asked him to send a picture of his genitals, and pledged to "be your little freak". They also accused women of trying to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Once the jury has come to a unanimous decision, they'll inform the court staff. Then the presiding judge — US District Judge Arun Subramanian — will summon everyone back to the court room for the jury to give their verdict on the each of the charges. If the jury find Mr Combs not guilty, he'll be released from custody. If the jury finds Mr Combs guilty, he'll be sentenced for the charges he's been convicted on. This could happen immediately but may also happen some time after the verdict. That's anyone's guess. It could take days of reviewing evidence for the jury to come to a unanimous decision. If they don't all agree despite extra deliberations, that's what's called a "hung jury" and a mistrial will be declared. Then it's up to the prosecution to decide whether it will pursue another trial. Yes. This trial was just over criminal charges. Mr Combs has also been accused of sexual assault and rape in more than 50 civil lawsuits. He has denied those allegations. ABC with Wires
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Offered Bribe For Cassie Abuse Video That Could 'Ruin His Career,' Security Testifies
A security guard testified that Sean 'Diddy' Combs bribed him to make sure video footage of him physically assaulting Casandra 'Cassie' Fine remained out of the public eye. On Tuesday (June 3), Eddy Garcia took the stand to detail how the disgraced mogul labeled him 'my angel' once the deal was set into place. According to Rolling Stone, Garcia initially rejected communications from Combs' chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, who wanted to view the footage. He allegedly instructed Khorram to get a subpoena before being contacted on his personal phone, which made him 'nervous.' Garcia detailed that Combs joined the call and named him a 'good guy' and allegedly explained that if the video was released to the public, it would 'ruin his career.' Garcia then consulted with his supervisor, who allegedly instructed that the security clip could be sold to the Harlem native and his team for $50,000. Garcia claimed Combs exclaimed, 'Eddy, my angel, I knew you could help. I knew you could do it,' per RS. Garcia then detailed traveling to an office building with the damning footage on a transportable drive to meet with Korrham and Combs. He claimed his voice was cracking due to his mental state, so Combs asked Korrham to 'go get him that tea I like.' Before his exit, Combs asked if the flash drive had the only copy of the video, and made a FaceTime call to Cassie during the ordeal. 'Let this guy know you want this to go away, too,' Combs allegedly directed the 'Official Girl' singer during the call. Garcia claimed that Cassie appeared calm, per RS, and wanted the incident to 'go away.' According to Garcia, once Cassie offered her input, he signed a declaration that claimed the footage at hand was the only copy, and signed a non-disclosure agreement on Combs Enterprise letterhead, dated March 7, 2011, two days after the hotel assault. Garcia said he did not receive a copy and would be forced to pay $1 million if the terms were violated. He then received a brown paper bag filled with $100,000. 'I was nervous, I was in a rush to get out of there,' detailed Garcia. According to RS, Garcia claimed to have given $50,000 to his boss while splitting the other $50,000 with the other security officer on duty at the time of the incident. Earlier in the trial, LAPD officer Israel Florez and a former security guard at the hotel testified to their experience with Combs as it related to the assault of his ex-girlfriend. The footage was released to the public last year by CNN. 'She was scared,' Florez swore under oath of Ventura's presence after being physically attacked. 'She was in the corner, hood on, covered up. I couldn't see her face, she was pretty much in the corner. On the floor was a destroyed flower vase.' The footage was played for jurors in Combs' ongoing criminal trial, where he faces one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The 55-year-old continues to maintain his innocence. More from Sean "Diddy" Combs And Harvey Weinstein Accused Of Sexual Assault By Same Woman Bill Maher Talks Cassie's "Enthusiastic Consent" To Freak Offs, Staying With Diddy For Career Prince's Security Allegedly "Intervened" In Diddy Attack Against Cassie
AsiaOne
28-05-2025
- AsiaOne
Ecstasy and bribery accusations in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial bolster racketeering charge, Entertainment News
Two weeks into the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, witnesses have accused the hip-hop mogul of everything from breaking into a rival's home to taking ecstasy and attempting to intimidate or pay off witnesses in the case. Combs is not charged with any of these alleged crimes, but legal experts say these allegations could provide powerful fodder for the prosecution's use of a sweeping mafia-busting law that has widened the scope of the case against Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records who helped turn hip-hop mainstream. Known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, "Rico" allows prosecutors to introduce evidence of crimes that are not charged in the indictment or even tied directly to the defendant, known as predicates or "bad acts." That has allowed the prosecutors in Combs' case to show jurors evidence they would not have seen if he was charged only with sex trafficking, helping prosecutors paint a more compelling picture of his alleged criminal activity, said Bobby Taghavi, a defence lawyer and former prosecutor. "Rico allows you to bring in the bigger picture," Taghavi said. "His lifestyle, his power, his anger issues the way people had to obey him — the 360-degree view of his conduct." Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The trial, which could last two months and will enter its third week of testimony on Tuesday, has drawn intense media attention. The jury of 12 must vote unanimously to convict on any of the charges. If convicted, Combs faces 15 years to life in prison. Manhattan federal prosecutors allege Combs violently coerced and blackmailed women and paid for male escorts to participate in drug-fuelled sex parties he called "Freak Offs." An indictment against Combs last September alleges he did this through the "Combs Enterprise," a group of businesses and employees engaged in a pattern of prostitution, forced labour and a half-dozen other crimes dating to 2008. Combs' lawyers have conceded the rapper abused his ex-girlfriend but have argued prosecutors are trying to criminalise consensual sex and his "swingers' lifestyle." Combs will be able to call his own witnesses after the prosecution rests. 'A bad act free-for-all' Rico became law in 1970 and was aimed at taking down organised crime bosses by tying them to crimes committed by their underlings. To prove Rico charges, prosecutors must show that members of a so-called enterprise, or group of people engaged in a common purpose, committed or planned to commit two other crimes in connection with the enterprise within a ten-year period. [[nid:718007]] The Combs case is an unusual application of Rico, according to legal experts, who say the law is not typically used in cases that primarily concern things like sex trafficking and prostitution. During four days of testimony, the prosecution's star witness, Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura testified that Combs was a domineering serial abuser prone to fits of jealous rage. "I'd expect the defence will ask the jurors at closing, "Did you see a criminal organisation? A racketeering enterprise? Or is this really a domestic violence case dressed up to look like an organised crime case?" said Mark Chutkow, a defence lawyer and former prosecutor with experience trying Rico cases. But prosecutors have called several witnesses to try to back their theory that crime was central to Combs' empire. The rapper known as Kid Cudi told the jury Combs broke into his home and likely had a role in the torching of his car. An ex-employee said Combs regularly took opiates and ecstasy. And a hotel security guard recalled Combs offered him a stack of cash to buy his silence after he saw Combs beat Ventura. Combs' lawyers have argued that evidence of this kind is irrelevant. Prosecutors have countered that it is admissible because it is related to the so-called means and methods of the Combs Enterprise. For example, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo objected to Combs' former personal chef testifying about a time Combs allegedly assaulted her. "I think we're just getting very far afield, and I think this is becoming sort of a bad act free-for-all," Agnifilo told US District Judge Arun Subramanian outside the presence of the jury on May 19. Subramanian said he would allow the testimony. There is legal precedent for applying Rico in sexual abuse cases from the case of rhythm and blues singer R. Kelly, who argued in an unsuccessful appeal of his 2021 conviction that allegations of assault were unrelated to racketeering. And evidence in the Combs' case suggests that his business empire was riddled by illegal acts, according to Michelle Simpson Tuegel, an attorney following the case. "That could show he was not just an abusive person and a bad guy but the leader of a criminal enterprise carrying out commercial sex using weapons and blackmail," Simpson Tuegel said. [[nid:718069]]
