Diddy trial recap: Jury ends deliberation for day after reaching verdict on some counts in sex trafficking case
Jurors will return on Wednesday to continue deliberations after failing to reach a decision on the remaining charge of racketeering conspiracy
Jurors say they have reached some verdicts in the high-profile sex-trafficking case of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
After over 12 hours of deliberations a note was passed to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday afternoon, saying the jury was in agreement over counts 2, 3, 4, and 5 – sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution, but remained divided on count 1 – R.I.C.O.
Both prosecution and defense teams indicated they would like jurors to push on to reach verdicts on all counts, but they were later dismissed and will return Wednesday morning.
Earlier, Subramanian swiftly addressed the jury’s concern over the drug distribution element of the racketeering conspiracy charge – a central legal issue in Combs’s case.
It followed another concern raised Monday to Subramanian after he gave legal instructions, about 10 minutes after deliberations began. “We have a juror, number 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor's instructions,” it read.
In response, Subramanian urged the jury to continue deliberating and reminded all members of their duty to follow his instructions.
Combs is facing two counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering conspiracy. Combs was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024.
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Jury deliberations set to resume Wednesday
Jury deliberations are set to resume on Wednesday at 9 a.m. local time.
Full story: Diddy jury reaches a verdict on most counts - but ends deliberations for the day before decision on RICO charge
The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial reached a decision on most counts after 14 hours of deliberations - but will continue to debate one of the charges on Wednesday.
The jurors have reached a verdict on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, they told the judge in a note late Tuesday. For the final count — racketeering conspiracy — the jurors said they have “unpersuadable opinions on both sides.”
The panel returned a note at 4:05 p.m. indicating it had reached a verdict on some counts.
Keep reading:
Diddy jury reaches a verdict on most counts
Who are the jurors set to decide Diddy's fate?
As jury deliberations are set to continue for a second day in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s federal sex trafficking trial, here’s a look at the 12 members of the panel tasked with deciding the music mogul’s fate.
Eight men and four women comprise the dozen New Yorkers selected to sit for the trial.
Ranging in age from 30 to 74, the jurors hail from Manhattan, the Bronx, and nearby Westchester County.
Their professions vary widely: from an investment analyst to a massage therapist.
Several of the younger jurors said they listen to hip-hop and R&B music, genres aligned with Combs.
Some of the jurors have said they were familiar with the 2016 surveillance footage of Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
Day one of deliberations got off to rocky start as jurors expressed 'concern'
Eight weeks into the blockbuster trial, the jury finally started to deliberate Monday on the case.
Judge Arun Subramanian spent two hours reading through jury instructions in the morning before the jurors began deliberating at 11.30 a.m.
Just over an hour later, the group sent a note to the judge: “We are concerned that Juror 25 cannot follow your honor’s instructions.”
Subramanian said he was unclear whether “cannot” meant the juror refuses to follow the instructions or cannot understand them.
After giving both sides 10 minutes to propose a response, the judge opted to use the government’s language, telling the panel to keep deliberating and to let him know if the issue persisted.
Kelly Rissman has more:
Question over behavior of Diddy juror throws wrench into deliberations
Jury to deliberate for a second day after failing to reach verdict
A jury is set to return to deliberate for a second day inside Manhattan federal court Tuesday at the sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
On Monday, jurors deliberated for five and a half hours without reaching a verdict after receiving instructions on the law from Judge Arun Subramanian.
The 12 New Yorkers on the jury are deciding whether prosecutors have proven sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges during the eight-week-long trial that began in May.
What is Diddy’s life like in jail?
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul at the center of a bombshell sex trafficking trial in New York, has been behind bars at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center for nearly 300 days.
Combs, 55, was arrested on September 16, 2024, and faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
While some have described the prison as “hell on Earth,” Katie Hawkinson details what life is like for Combs behind bars:
What is Diddy’s life like in jail?
Judge to address jury's over central legal concern this morning
Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to address the jury’s concern over the drug distribution element of the racketeering conspiracy charge – a central legal issue in Combs’s case.
The jury raised the concern near the end of Monday’s deliberations and asked whether an individual can be found responsible for distributing drugs at the behest of someone who asked for them.
Subramanian said he would provide an answer on Tuesday morning.
The government has proposed 10 predicate acts – a specific crime that forms part of a larger criminal pattern – that support the racketeering conspiracy charge.
The jury must unanimously find that at least two of those acts listed were committed to convict Combs of the specific charge.
In sketches: Diddy turns to family and friends as jurors began deliberating
How do jury deliberations work?
Judge Arun Subramanian gave instructions to the jurors on Monday before sending them off to deliberate.
The jury of eight men and four women must unanimously decide whether Combs is guilty or not guilty on each count.
Combs is facing two charges of sex trafficking, two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution and a racketeering conspiracy charge. Prosecutors have outlined 10 predicate acts to support the racketeering conspiracy charge and the jury must find that at least two were committed to return a conviction.
All 12 jurors must agree. If jurors don’t reach an agreement, they could come back and say they are deadlocked.
Traditionally, the judge would then encourage them to continue deliberating, but if they can’t reach a consensus, it would be up to the judge to decide whether to declare a mistrial.
Here are the charges against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could soon learn his fate in a trial that has accused him of racketeering and sex trafficking.
It comes nearly 10 months after prosecutors in Manhattan initially unveiled a three-count criminal indictment against Combs, accusing him of engaging in transportation for prostitution and conspiracy over more than 17 years.
A jury of 12 is now deliberating the charges against the mogul after hearing seven weeks of testimony in a New York federal courtroom.
Ariana Baio looks at the charges against Diddy and what they mean:
