The jury in the trial of famous American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs has reached a verdict on four of the five charges he faces, but has not yet reached a decision on the main charge, conspiracy to commit a criminal organization.
The partial verdict was not made public, after the jury announced it was divided and had not reached a unanimous agreement on the most serious charge. Judge Arun Subramanian, along with prosecutors and Diddy's defense team, agreed that after just two days of deliberations, it was too early to abandon efforts to reach a full verdict.
Instead of accepting the partial verdict, the judge ordered the panel to continue deliberations on the final charge. Hearings will continue on Wednesday.
The developments occurred on Tuesday afternoon, when the panel submitted a note stating that it was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the criminal organization charge, as some members had unwavering positions on both sides.
The charge of conspiracy to commit a criminal organization is the most complicated of all, as it requires the jury to decide not only whether Diddy led a criminal network, but also whether he participated in specific crimes such as kidnapping or arson.
However, in less than 13 hours of deliberations, the jury reached a verdict on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. The latter relate to allegations that Diddy organized flights to transport women and sex workers across state lines.
If convicted, the sex trafficking charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. The transportation for prostitution charge can carry up to 10 years in prison.
The remaining charge, the most serious of all and the one for which there is still no verdict – conspiracy to commit a criminal organization – also carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Diddy, 55, appeared somber in the courtroom after being informed of the jury's decision. He was seen reading a letter handed to him by his attorney, Marc Agnifilo. Then, as the jury returned to the courtroom to receive instructions from the judge and left again, Diddy sat for several minutes in silence.
As he stood up to leave the courtroom, he turned to his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss in the air and touched his heart — a gesture he has often made at the beginning and end of court hearings. Before leaving, he stopped next to his mother, Janice Combs, and said, “I love you. I’ll be fine.” Then, he was escorted out of the courtroom.
Combs, better known as Diddy, has denied all charges. His lawyers claim that prosecutors are trying to criminalize his swinger lifestyle and that, if any violations occurred, they fall under domestic violence rather than federal crimes.
Sources: Euronews, AP
