Sean “Diddy Combs has been convicted of a prostitution-related offence but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop’s most celebrated figures behind bars for life.
The mixed result came on Wednesday morning (just before 12.30am on Thursday AEST) on the third day of deliberations.
It could still send Combs, 55, to prison for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hit-making music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star.
The foreperson confirmed the verdict reached was unanimous.
After they read the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looked at the jury and hugged his defence lawyer Teny Geragos.
Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.
But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fuelled sex marathons with the men.
Combs and his defence team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges.
After the verdict was read, the judge gave the jury guidance on speaking about the case to the media, to the public, and more.
Combs continued to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges.
He seemed buoyant arriving in the courtroom earlier on Wednesday morning, a contrast to his mood a day earlier after he learned that the jury at his sex trafficking trial had reached a yet-to-be-disclosed verdict on all but one of the five charges the hip-hop mogul faces.
Combs smiled and clasped his hands together in the air toward his family and supporters before hugging several of his lawyers and sitting down to await the outcome of the jury’s third day of deliberations.
A short while later, his head bowed, he stood several feet from his family for less than a minute as they sat with their heads bowed in prayer.
As they did on Monday, Combs and family members then applauded before he was led from the courtroom by US marshals. The family later got in a van and left the courthouse.
On Tuesday (early Wednesday AEST), US District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after the panel of eight men and four women said it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy.
The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs’ defence team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts.
The jury’s decision on the other charges — two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — remains under wraps for now.
In a note to the court late on Tuesday, the jury said “unpersuadable opinions on both sides” among some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge.
Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated charge in the trial and carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.
The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The disclosure of the jury note about the partial verdict seemed to put defence attorneys and their client in a dour mood even before it was read in open court by the judge.
Eight defence lawyers formed a half-circle behind Combs as the smiles and lighthearted mood that accompanied the arrival of other jury notes over two days seemed absent as the attorneys contemplated the possibility that jurors had reached agreement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties.
Combs appeared morose as his lawyers spoke with him. At one point, the hip-hop mogul solemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him.
After the jury came in for instructions and then exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a few minutes. As he stood to leave, he faced his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss and tapped his heart, as he frequently has done at the start and end of each day.
Then he paused before his mother and exchanged a few words, telling her, “Love you” and “I’ll be all right”.
Marshals then led him from the room.
Earlier in their deliberations the jury asked to review testimony from Cassie, the R&B singer who was Diddy’s former longtime girlfriend, as well as from Daniel Phillip, a male stripper Diddy is accused of paying to have sex with Cassie.
Prosecutors say Combs coerced two girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers.
Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder contend prosecutors are trying to criminalise Combs’ swinger lifestyle. They say his conduct, if anything, amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies.
