P Diddy verdict LIVE: Jury reaches decision on four counts

Courts across the United States will be shut for two consecutive days this week as the country marks its Independence Day celebrations.

Both Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, will see federal courts closed, with no hearings or proceedings scheduled.

Independence Day is a federal holiday, and as such, all federal courts traditionally shut their doors. This year, many will also remain closed on Friday, giving court staff and officials an extended break.

Normal operations are expected to resume on Monday, July 8, however it is possible the judge will allow jurers to deliberate during part of this time.

Judge Arun Subramanian has given the jury its final instructions before deliberations began in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s explosive federal trial.

The 12 jurors – made up of eight men and four women – must now unanimously decide whether the music mogul is guilty or not guilty on each of the five serious charges he faces.

Combs, 55, stands accused of two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering conspiracy.

To secure a conviction on the racketeering charge, prosecutors outlined 10 alleged predicate acts. The jury must agree that at least two of these were committed in order to convict.

But unanimity is key. All 12 jurors must agree on a verdict for each charge. If they fail to do so, they could notify the judge that they are deadlocked.

In such a scenario, Judge Subramanian would likely urge them to continue deliberations. However, if they still cannot reach a consensus, it would fall to the judge to determine whether to declare a mistrial.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has now spent almost 300 days behind bars as he awaits the verdict in his high-profile sex trafficking trial in New York.

The 55-year-old music mogul was arrested on September 16, 2024, and is facing a raft of serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility that has gained notoriety for its harsh conditions. Some have even gone so far as to describe the prison as “hell on Earth.”

Combs’s prolonged stay behind bars adds to the mounting tension around the trial, with a verdict expected soon after extensive jury deliberations.

As deliberations in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s explosive federal sex trafficking trial enter a second day, attention has turned to the 12 jurors now tasked with deciding the music mogul’s future.

The panel is made up of eight men and four women, all residents of New York, handpicked to serve on one of the most high-profile trials of the year.

Aged between 30 and 74, the jurors come from across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County, offering a broad cross-section of the city’s population, reports CNN.

Their professional backgrounds vary considerably. Among them are an investment analyst, a massage therapist, and other individuals representing diverse fields.

Some jurors also acknowledged having seen the 2016 surveillance footage that appears to show Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway — a video that resurfaced prominently ahead of the trial.

Deliberations continue, with the jury now under intense public scrutiny as they weigh the charges against the embattled star.

The long-awaited verdict in the case against P Diddy is now expected either on Wednesday or in the coming days, after the jury failed to reach a final decision on all charges.

Jurors were initially expected to deliver their verdict on Tuesday, following a second full day of deliberations. However, proceedings were paused after they confirmed they had only reached decisions on four out of five counts levelled against the 55-year-old rapper.

The jury returned verdicts for counts two, three, four, and five, but remained undecided on the crucial first charge — a racketeering conspiracy allegation that has proved the most complex element of the case.

At the close of Tuesday’s session, Judge Arun Subramania addressed the jury directly, urging them to push forward in their discussions.

“I received your note that you have reached verdicts on counts two to five but not on count one,” the judge said. “I ask at this time that you keep deliberating.”

The jury has now gone home for the day, with deliberations expected to resume shortly. All eyes remain on the high-profile courtroom, as the final outcome draws near.

The jury’s inability to reach a verdict on count 1 — the racketeering conspiracy charge against Sean Combs — is “not surprising” given the legal complexity involved, says CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig.

Speaking to CNN, Honig explained: “Let me say it’s not surprising, by the way, that there’s a potential hang or there’s some issue on the RICO conspiracy, because that’s the most complicated charge.”

“You have to show there’s an ongoing criminal organization or enterprise here, and you have to show that they agreed with Sean Combs to commit two or more underlying crimes. It’s the most complicated charge. It’s not surprising that’s the one that’s given the jury the most trouble.”

To secure a conviction on the racketeering conspiracy count, jurors must find that Combs and at least one co-conspirator committed two predicate acts within a 10-year span, according to the official verdict sheet.

The possible predicate acts include:

Kidnapping

Arson

Bribery

Witness tampering

Forced labor

Sex trafficking

Transportation for purposes of prostitution

Drug distribution

The RICO charge carries some of the most serious legal hurdles, requiring prosecutors to prove a sustained criminal enterprise rather than isolated crimes — a challenge that evidently has caused difficulty for the jury in this high-profile case.

The jury in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial said yesterday to have reached a verdict on four of five counts.The rapper is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex-trafficking of Cassie Ventura, transporting individuals including but not limited to Cassie Ventura to engage in prostitution, sex-trafficking of Jane, and transporting individuals including but not limited to Jane to engage in prostitution. Jane testified under a pseudonym to protect her identity.The rapper has denied all charges and pleaded not guilty during the trial, which began on May 5.The 12 jurors told Judge Arun Subramanian in a note on July 1 they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge.Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated of the charges against Combs because it requires the jury to decide not only whether he ran a "racketeering enterprise," but also whether he was involved in committing some or all of various types of offenses, such as kidnapping and arson. The charge falls under RICO - the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act - which is best known for being used in organised crime and drug cartel cases.Following the note, the judge discussed with the lawyers how to respond to the jury's message. He then instructed the jury to keep deliberating. Speaking in the Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan, Judge Arun Subramanian told the jurors: "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."Shortly after being dismissed from the courtroom, jurors sent another note to the judge, saying they had completed their deliberations for the day and would return on Wednesday.The jury has been deliberating since Monday.

In last week's closing statements, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team made their final pitches to the jury.

Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik contended: "The defendant used power, violence, and fear to get what he wanted. He thought that his fame, wealth, and power put him above the law."

She charged him with depending on a "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made their mission to meed to defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs."

However, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo shut down these allegations, stating: "This isn't about crime. It's about money."

He highlighted that one of the accusers had also launched a civil lawsuit against Combs.

Agnifilo defended his client, saying: "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of those things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him."

The jury has officially decided on four of the five charges - counts two, three, four, and five - but at this moment are unable to decide on count one.

Here's the full list of charges and counts Diddy is facing:

Count one carried the largest sentence, which could see the rapper face life in prison. Meanwhile, counts two and four have a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life. Counts three and five carry a maximum sentence of ten years.

Following the instructions from the judge, the jury sent a note explaining that they have completed deliberations for the day and will continue tomorrow at 9am (Wednesday, July 2, at 12pm UK time).

In dismissing the panel for the day, the judge said he won't bring them out in the morning and that they can get started on their deliberations when they've all arrived in court. The jury have now left the courtroom.

Judge Arun Subramanian has instructed the jury to continue deliberating after they sent a note explaining they have reached a definitive verdict on four of the five counts.

He told them: "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."

Judge Arun Subramanian and the lawyers are discussing how they will respond to the jury's note that they are unable to reach a verdict on one of the five counts against the musician.

The judge confessed: "There's not much there" in response to the defence team's proposed instruction. He explained that simply telling the jury to "keep deliberating" would be non-responsive, expressing "unpersuradable opinions" regarding count 1.

Diddy's defence, Marc Agnifilo, argued that he believes the jury has been productive and efficient, so they do not need any more encouragement to continue with their deliberations.

Meanwhile, Subramanian said that the government's proposal isn't and Allen charge as such, but reiterates the section of the jury instructions relating to the duty of deliberation.

Bot the prosecution and defence lawyers want the judge to encourage the jury to continue to deliberate. Marc Agnifilo, who is representing Diddy, argued that the defence would like the judge to bring out the jury and instruct them to push through with their delieration.

According to the BBC, the disgraced musician is seated in court with his lawyers stood around him, comforting him and patting his back, while Diddy sat with his head in his hands.

The jury sent a note to the judge at 4.05pm local time, which read: "We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4, and 5. We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides."

The judge has said he will not take a partial verdict. He is set to instruct the jurors to keep deliberating.

It is currently unclear if they will keep deliberating tonight, or opt to go home for the day.