Jury reaches partial verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial

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A partial verdict has been reached successful Sean "Diddy" Combs' national enactment trafficking and racketeering proceedings successful New York City. The assemblage sent a enactment to the justice Tuesday day saying it has reached a verdict connected 4 of the 5 counts, but jurors said they were incapable to hold connected number 1, racketeering conspiracy.

Jurors began deliberating successful U.S. District Court successful little Manhattan connected Monday.

What are the charges against Sean "Diddy" Combs?

A sweeping expansive assemblage indictment against Combs, 55, was unsealed successful September 2024, initially charging the hip-hop mogul with 3 counts pursuing his arrest astatine an upscale midtown Manhattan hotel. In April, earlier the proceedings began, prosecutors filed further charges against Combs successful a superseding indictment, bringing the full fig of counts against him to five.

The charges against Combs are 1 number of racketeering conspiracy, 2 counts of enactment trafficking and 2 counts of proscription to prosecute successful prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, helium could look up to beingness successful prison.

Prosecutors alleged that Combs' concern empire created a transgression endeavor that helium utilized for years to screen up acts of unit and maltreatment and to coerce women into fulfilling his intersexual desires. Jurors heard from much than 30 witnesses implicit the people of 7 weeks arsenic the prosecution went done its case.

Combs' attorneys didn't call him oregon immoderate witnesses to attest successful his defence during the trial. Combs told U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian that helium decided not to testify, saying: "I mean, it's my determination with my lawyers. ... My determination to make. I'm making it." His lawyers argued the prosecution failed to beryllium the charges against Combs, and the defence sought an acquittal aft the prosecution rested.

"Freak-offs" and "hotel nights"

The high-profile proceedings started successful May. The proceedings included graphic and affectional testimony, including from vocalist Cassie Ventura, Combs' erstwhile woman who spent much than a decennary with him.

Ventura testified astir drug-fueled enactment sessions that Combs allegedly referred to arsenic "freak-offs." Ventura said successful tribunal that Combs directed each the encounters, which could past for days. She said Combs would determine who participated, what she could deterioration and the relation she was expected to play. She testified that she felt forced to enactment successful the "freak-offs" to marque Combs happy.

Combs' attorneys argued that the encounters were consensual, and during cross-examination, the defence showed the assemblage a 2009 connection from Ventura to Combs that read, "I'm ever acceptable to freak off."

Last year, CNN aired surveillance video from 2016 showing what appears to beryllium Combs assaulting Ventura astatine a California hotel. Combs apologized astatine the time, and said his behaviour was "inexcusable" and helium takes "full responsibility" for his actions. Ventura testified during the proceedings that the onslaught happened arsenic she was trying to permission a "freak-off" that turned violent. A erstwhile edifice information serviceman testified that Combs offered him currency aft the attack, which the serviceman said helium understood to beryllium a bribe.

Ventura had filed a civilian suit against Combs successful 2023, accusing him of physically and sexually abusing her. Combs denied the claims and rapidly settled with her. In his closing argument to the assemblage Friday, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said, "If you had to prime a victor successful this full thing, it's hard not to prime Cassie."

Singer Dawn Richard, who was portion of 2 bands tied to Combs, testified that she often saw Combs being violent toward Ventura. She said that aft 1 incidental successful 2009, Combs allegedly threatened her and a bandmate, saying they could spell missing if they didn't enactment quiet.

The defence focused connected inconsistencies successful Richard's testimony, and she said it takes clip to retrieve things she tried to forget. Separately, Richard has made allegations against Combs successful a civil lawsuit, accusing him of carnal and intelligence abuse, which helium has denied.

Another erstwhile woman of Combs testified nether the pseudonym Jane successful court. During their narration betwixt 2021 and 2024, she told the tribunal she often participated successful what she called "hotel nights," which besides progressive drugs. Jane testified she would person enactment with a antheral escort portion Combs watched.

She said she told Combs she didn't similar the "hotel nights." Combs' lawyers displayed messages showing her mounting them up. Jane said she felt pressured to conscionable her partner's expectations and that she had grown financially babelike connected Combs.

Jane said she got into a combat with Combs past twelvemonth implicit different woman. She said she slammed his caput connected a marble array and helium allegedly grabbed her by the neck, punched and kicked her.

"Sean Diddy Combs: The Verdict," a one-hour peculiar connected the case, volition aerial connected CBS News 24/7 astatine 9 p.m. ET the nighttime of the jury's decision. Download the free CBS News app to ticker connected your mobile oregon streaming device, oregon watercourse connected Paramount+.

Jericka Duncan, Alice Gainer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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