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3 weeks ago
Sean Combs was acquitted on Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, but convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution, after an eight-week federal trial that described his prolific drug use and violence against two former girlfriends.
A jury in Manhattan found Mr. Combs, 55, not guilty of the most serious charges against him. Prosecutors had accused the famed producer of coercing two former girlfriends, Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified pseudonymously as “Jane,” into unwanted sex with male prostitutes, aided by a team of pliant employees. Mr. Combs had denied all charges and contended that the sexual acts were consensual.
Even with a partial conviction, the result is something of a victory for Mr. Combs, who was elated in court. He had faced a possible life sentence had he been convicted of other counts in the case. He could be sentenced up to a maximum of 20 years in prison on the two transportation for prostitution charges — 10 years for each count — but the final sentence will be up to a judge.
Here’s what else to know:
Combs’s reaction: After the verdict was read, Mr. Combs put his hands together and mouthed “thank you, thank you” at the jurors. Later, he dropped to his knees, apparently in prayer, and started a round of applause in court. His supporters and family began clapping and whistling for his legal team, who embraced each other.
Possible release: A defense lawyer immediately asked the judge to release Mr. Combs from jail to await sentencing now that he no longer faces sex-trafficking and racketeering charges. The judge said he would hear arguments on the question before ruling.
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The jury: The racially diverse panel of eight men and four women, ranging in age from 30 to 74, sent several notes to the judge during deliberations, both asking for evidence and expressing concern about one juror. Read more >
Racketeering: Jurors said on Tuesday that there were “unpersuadable opinions on both sides” in regard to the racketeering count, and on Wednesday, they announced they had decided to find Mr. Combs not guilty of the charge. Racketeering law was once intended to combat the Mafia but has become central in cases against R. Kelly, Young Thug, Wall Street executives, gang members and President Trump. Read more >
Prosecution’s case: Mr. Combs was portrayed as the head of a criminal enterprise who “used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted” in the government’s closing argument. A prosecutor said Mr. Combs used violence, financial control and threats to manipulate his girlfriends into physically taxing sex sessions with hired men, while he masturbated and filmed. Read more >
Defense’s case: In its closing argument, Mr. Combs’s defense team told jurors that the government’s evidence contradicted its case. It acknowledged that Mr. Combs had engaged in domestic violence and drug use, but argued that the accusation that Mr. Combs was a sex trafficker or criminal ringleader was “badly exaggerated.” Read more >
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Though Sean Combs was acquitted on Wednesday of the most serious charges in his federal trial, he still faces the possibility of prison time because the jury found him guilty of two counts of transporting people to engage in prostitution.
Sentencing experts say it is difficult to predict how severe his punishment will be, as the judge in the case must go through complicated calculus to determine a just outcome.
A sentencing date has not yet been set. Each of the two transportation for prostitution convictions carries up to 10 years in prison, creating a maximum of 20 years if those sentences are served consecutively. But there are several reasons to think Mr. Combs’s sentence could be considerably shorter than that, experts said.
“Judges almost never come close to” the maximum sentences, said Daniel Richman, a professor at Columbia Law School and a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.
The judge in the trial, Arun Subramanian, will likely start by considering federal sentencing guidelines, rubrics which are used to create a penalty range based on various factors, including the nature of the offense, specifics of the case and personal characteristics of the defendant, like criminal history.
Nationally, judges stuck to the sentencing guidelines in 67 percent of cases in the fiscal year 2024. But judges in the Southern District of New York imposed sentences within the guidelines just 34.5 percent of the time, almost always imposing shorter sentences than the guidelines suggested.
Mr. Richman said the judge has wide latitude to consider what a reasonable sentence would be.
“When making that decision he can consider the guidelines, especially since he just calculated them, but he can consider many other things and need not follow the guidelines,” he said.
Douglas Berman, a sentencing expert at Ohio State University, said that even if judges do not stick to sentencing guidelines, they are often still used as a benchmark. Judges generally don’t want to stray too far from established norms, he said.
Mr. Berman said every aspect of the defendant’s character and history — his charity work, his professional success, his threat to others, any bad behavior — can be taken into account.
“There really are no limits to what the judge can consider,” he said.
That also extends to evidence presented at trial regarding the counts on which Mr. Combs was acquitted, if the judge deems it relevant to the sentencing. Judges must weigh, among other things, whether the defendant is likely to commit a crime again.
In the courtroom on Wednesday, Mr. Combs appeared to treat the verdict as a victory, pumping his fist in celebration and thanking jurors. Mr. Berman said that “how much of a win will really turn on how aggressive prosecutors are in their sentencing recommendations,” which he said can often influence judges.
A lawyer for Casandra Ventura, who testified Mr. Combs physically abused her and pressured her into sex, submitted a letter to the judge urging him to deny Mr. Combs’s request for release on bond. The lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, wrote that “Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community.”
Anusha Bayya
Deonte Nash, a stylist and friend of Casandra Ventura’s who testified during the trial, wrote a letter to the judge, urging him not to release Sean Combs in the wake of his mixed verdict. The prosecutors filed the letter along with their own asking the judge not to set bail.
Nash, who testified that he had seen Combs beating Ms. Ventura, cited ”a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive and retaliatory behavior,” arguing that Mr. Combs should stay in custody.
Combs, Mr. Nash wrote, has “repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability,” and, if released on Wednesday, “I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.”
He added that a decision to release Mr. Combs would be “a profound mistake.”
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The hearing on whether Sean Combs will be released on bond is expected to start at 5 p.m. The defense is pushing for his release, saying he was acquitted of the most serious charges against him, but the government is adamant that he remain detained.
In a letter filed Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors asked the judge overseeing the Sean Combs case to deny the music mogul’s request to be released on bail, arguing that he should remain in detention.
Much of the letter recaps its arguments at trial, that Mr. Combs used violence as part of the crimes he was charged with committing over two decades, and that he made “attempts to escape law enforcement detection.”
“At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts — indeed, the defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse,” the prosecutors wrote. “Rather, the defendant argued that despite his repeated violence against girlfriends, he did not engage in sex trafficking; and despite his prolific drug use, he did not engage in racketeering activity.”
The letter also gave a preview of the prosecution’s arguments for sentencing Mr. Combs for his two convictions. Given that he was accused of transporting seven prostitutes, and that Mr. Combs was “a manager or supervisor,” the government indicated that the sentencing guidelines indicated 51 to 63 months’ imprisonment at a minimum, but they suggested they may ask for more.
Under the law, the maximum sentence for each conviction of transportation to engage in prostitution is 10 years. There is no minimum sentence.
In a letter to the judge overseeing Sean Combs’s case, his defense lawyers laid out their proposal for allowing Mr. Combs to be released on bail, following his acquittal on the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. A jury found Mr. Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. A sentencing date for those convictions has not been announced. The prostitution convictions carry maximum sentences of 10 years each, and the sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges had potential life sentences.
The defense proposed a $1 million bond, co-signed by Mr. Combs, his mother, sister and Sarah Chapman, the mother of his oldest daughter, Chance. His passport would be surrendered to Pretrial Services, and his travel would be restricted the judicial districts around New York, Los Angeles and Miami. He would also agree to drug testing.
“Today, the jury unambiguously rejected the government’s allegations that Mr. Combs ran a years-long criminal enterprise or engaged in sex trafficking — the core of the government’s case. Mr. Combs stands convicted of two Mann Act counts, and his sentencing exposure is substantially lower than when the government initially sought detention,” the letter reads.
Mr. Combs has been incarcerated since his arrest in September.
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Sean Combs on Wednesday was cleared of some of the most serious charges against him — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — but still faces sentencing on two counts of transportation for prostitution under the Mann Act.
The mixed verdict is seen as a victory for Mr. Combs, who faced a possible life sentence had he been convicted of any of the other counts. He could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison on the transportation for prostitution charges — 10 years for each count — but the final sentence will be up to a judge. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, a sentencing date has not been announced.
The Mann Act was passed in 1910 to prohibit the interstate or foreign transportation of an individual with the intention of engaging them in prostitution or any sexual activity. Initially referred to as the “White-Slave Traffic Act,” the federal statute came at a time when the United States saw rapid changes after the Industrial Revolution, including urbanization and immigration as young, single women moved to cities.
As young women experienced greater sexual freedom, public anxiety grew over fear that there existed a “white slavery” plague in which innocent girls were drugged and smuggled across the country to engage in sexual activity.
The law soon became a way for federal prosecutors to criminalize many forms of consensual sexual activity, including premarital, extramarital and interracial sexual relationships that involved interstate travel.
Jack Johnson, the Black heavyweight boxing champion, was first prosecuted under the Mann Act in 1912 on charges of abducting a 19-year-old woman he had a relationship with. She refused to testify, dooming the case, and later married him. The following year, an all-white jury convicted Mr. Johnson of transporting a different woman across state lines “for immoral purposes.” Mr. Johnson had been a lover of that woman, who was white and had worked as a prostitute. President Trump pardoned Mr. Johnson posthumously in 2018.
The Mann Act has also been used a tool for political persecution, targeting notable figures like the actor Charlie Chaplin, who was ultimately acquitted, and the singer Chuck Berry, who served more than a year in federal prison.
Mr. Combs’s lawyers filed a motion in February to seek the dismissal of one of the sex-trafficking charges, arguing that he was being unfairly prosecuted based on his race. They pointed to the law’s “racist origins” and argued that it was being used against a “prominent Black man.”
The act has been amended over the years to protect minors against child pornography, include the transportation of men in its coverage and address its misuse against consensual sex. A 1986 amendment replaced “immoral purpose” with “any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.”
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A lawyer for Casandra Ventura, the star witness in the federal trial against Sean Combs, said he was “pleased” that Mr. Combs had been “held accountable for something.”
The jury in the case handed down a mixed verdict on Wednesday, finding Mr. Combs not guilty of federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges, the most serious charges against him, both of which carry a possible life sentence. But it convicted him of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — violations of the Mann Act — after an eight-week trial. Mr. Combs, who will be sentenced at a later date, and his lawyers were elated in court when the verdict was read.
Outside the courthouse, Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ms. Ventura, said: “He’s finally been held responsible for two federal crimes, something that he’s never faced in his life.”
Women’s advocacy groups and organizations that fight sexual violence praised the women who came forward to testify in the Sean Combs trial but expressed disappointment in the verdict.
Advocacy groups had been closely following the deliberations, and they swiftly reacted to the verdict. Most expressed disappointment while praising the two former girlfriends of Mr. Combs’s — Ms. Ventura and a woman known in court as “Jane” — who came forward to tell their stories in often excruciating and lurid detail. Both testified that Mr. Combs had used violence and financial leverage to coerce them into having sex with male escorts.
Arisha Hatch, the interim executive director of the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, condemned the verdict as “a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy.” She called it “an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic.”
“This is a decisive moment for our justice system,” Ms. Hatch said, “one which threatens to undo the sacrifice of courageous survivors who stepped forward to share their stories in this trial.”
Scott Berkowitz, the founder and president of RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, was more circumspect, calling the verdict “a complex reflection of how survivors of sexual violence can find justice.”
“Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo called the relationship between Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura a ‘great modern love story,’” Mr. Berkowitz said. “There’s nothing modern or great about abusing your partner, and it certainly isn’t an expression of love.”
“The details of Combs’s crimes were shocking and, in many ways, uncommon,” Mr. Berkowitz added. “But the experiences of those he victimized, and the courage that they showed in their testimony, are familiar to millions of survivors.”
Fatima Goss Graves, the head of the National Women’s Law Center, focused in a statement on extolling what she said was “extraordinary bravery” from the “inspiring survivors who chose to tell their stories.”
“This is not just about Sean Combs,” Ms. Graves said. “We know that abuse involves networks and enablers who allow violence to occur and continue, which maintains a culture of silence and shame. And long after the stories of Sean Combs’s abuse fades from public memory, it will be up to all of us to support survivors and demand that they have justice and healing.”
Anusha Bayya
Outside the courthouse on Worth Street following the verdict, throngs of people watched as Sean Combs’s family members exited. There was yelling — some in apparent glee, others in consternation.
Two members of the public got into a shouting match about the trial. One was pleased, the other dismayed, and they were encircled by spectators with cameras. Many content creators continued livestreaming the commotion.
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The defense is expected to speak to the media outside the courthouse later today. They still have an important legal battle ahead this afternoon, when a judge will decide whether Sean Combs will be released from detention pending sentencing.
In a statement in response to the verdict, Jay Clayton, interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, said: “Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.
Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.”
Ricky J. Patel, special agent in charge of the New York field office of Homeland Security Investigations, which investigated the case, also signed the statement.
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Most days in room 26A of the federal district courthouse in Lower Manhattan, members of Sean Combs’s family sat in the public gallery, just behind Mr. Combs and his lawyers.
Since the trial began in May, they were Mr. Combs’s most reliable form of public support, with various members appearing nearly every day. During closing arguments last week, they presented a unified front. On Wednesday, when he was acquitted on the most serious charges against him, they were jubilant.
Mr. Combs’s mother, Janice Combs, has been the most visible attendee, perhaps purposely so. She arrived in a variety of wigs and eye-catching items like leopard-print pants or fur jackets and fishnet stockings; Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbags completed her ensembles. Her “maximal, diamonds-and-furs glamour,” as The Washington Post put it, stood in contrast to the neutral, muted sweaters her son wore as part of a limited trial wardrobe permitted by the judge.
When Mr. Combs was on trial in 2001 over a nightclub shooting that left three people injured, his mother was there every day, sometimes bringing her son a brown-bag lunch. (He was acquitted of gun possession and bribery charges in that trial.) At 84, Ms. Combs is still a near-daily presence at court.
In October, a few weeks after her son’s arrest, Ms. Combs made a statement calling the case against him “a public lynching” and saying “it is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.”
Mr. Combs’s three adult sons, Justin Combs, Christian Combs and Quincy Brown, have also frequently been in attendance, sitting beside the matriarch in a second-row bench. Christian, also known as King, could sometimes be seen putting an arm around Mrs. Combs’s shoulders. Last week, he released a song with Ye, the rapper and professional provocateur formerly known as Kanye West, called “Diddy Free,” in which he raps about not being able to sleep until he sees his father free.
Mr. Combs’s sister, Keisha, who long worked at Mr. Combs’s record company, Bad Boy, has also been a regular presence.
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Mr. Combs’s three teenage daughters — Chance, D’Lila and Jessie — were present for the first two days of the trial, then not seen again until closing arguments.
Three of the mothers of Mr. Combs’s children have sometimes been present: Misa Hylton, the mother of Justin, his oldest son; Sarah Chapman, Chance’s mother; and Dana Tran, the mother of his youngest child, an infant daughter named Love.
When Mr. Combs had turned around in his seat at the counsel table to see family in attendance, he often made a heart sign with his hands; at least once, he blew a kiss to his mother.
Before the verdict was read, Mr. Combs walked into the courtroom and mouthed “We got this” to his family. When the first “not guilty” racketeering count was read, a family member gasped. As the “not guilty” verdicts for the sex-trafficking counts came, members of his family and his legal team began to cry. When the full verdict had been read, Mr. Combs turned to his family and mouthed “I’m going home.” That will be determined by the judge later this afternoon.
Seated with the Combs family each day was Charlucci Finney, who met Mr. Combs through the music industry decades ago and calls himself the mogul’s “godbrother,” and sometimes speaks to the news media as a proxy.
Mr. Combs’s most famous supporter made perhaps the briefest appearance. On June 13, Ye entered the courthouse at about 11:20 a.m., causing a commotion that rippled throughout the building. But he was not able to enter the courtroom, since he was not on the approved list for the day, a document kept by court officers that includes reporters and members of the public who arrive early.
In an overflow room on the 23rd floor, the rap star watched some of the day’s proceedings with Christian Combs and Mr. Finney before throngs of onlookers found him. Ye then took an elevator to the ground floor and climbed into a black sedan shortly before noon that day.
Anusha Bayya and Olivia Bensimon contributed reporting.
UltraViolet, a women’s rights organization, made a statement in response to the Sean Combs verdict:
“This is a decisive moment for our justice system, one which threatens to undo the sacrifice of courageous survivors who stepped forward to share their stories in this trial, as well as to all those abused by Diddy who weren’t able to,” said Arisha Hatch, the organization’s interim executive director. “Today’s verdict is not just a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy, it’s also an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic. We will continue to stand with the brave women and men who took great risk to reveal the person Diddy really is.”
What is a bit remarkable is that yesterday evening, the jury said it was deadlocked on the racketeering conspiracy charge, which accused Sean Combs of running a criminal enterprise responsible for crimes over two decades. It said there were “unpersuadable” opinions on both sides. Then, this morning, jurors came to a full verdict after less than an hour of deliberations.
Because the jury was not convinced that Mr. Combs was responsible for sex trafficking, you can see how it would have been uncertain on racketeering conspiracy. A significant part of the alleged conspiracy, according to the prosecutors, was based on accusations that Mr. Combs’s employees helped facilitate sex trafficking.
Olivia Bensimon
Outside the courthouse, Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Casandra Ventura, said he was “pleased” that Mr. Combs had been “held accountable for something.” Mr. Wigdor said: “He’s finally been held responsible for two federal crimes, something that he’s never faced in his life.”
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“She’s pleased that again, that the jury has found him liable — guilty — of two federal crimes.” Reporter: “What was her reaction?” “I issued a statement as well, on Twitter as well. Her reaction is what I just said. Her reaction is that she was pleased that he’s been found guilty and held responsible to federal crimes, something that he’s never been held responsible in his entire life.”
The biggest victory for the defense here was convincing jurors that two former girlfriends of Sean Combs — Casandra Ventura and “Jane” — were not coerced into “freak-offs” and “hotel nights,” extended sex sessions with male escorts over a period of years. Through vigorous cross-examinations of witnesses, Mr. Combs’s lawyers pointed to text messages in which the women conveyed enthusiasm for the sexual encounters.
The women testified that they were telling Mr. Combs what they knew he wanted to hear, and that they were stuck in manipulative and controlling relationships. Bottom line: The jury did not view Mr. Combs’s treatment of his girlfriends as sex trafficking.
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The jury in Sean Combs’s sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial, which revealed some internal conflict during deliberations, was a racially diverse group of eight men and four women who range in age from 30 to 74 and live in Manhattan, Westchester County and the Bronx.
The court has not released the names of the jurors, which is common in high-profile trials where their safety is a concern.
On Wednesday, the jury announced that it found Mr. Combs not guilty of the most serious charges against him, sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, while convicting him of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
During 28 days of often wrenching testimony, the jurors were punctual, attentive and, for the most part, impassive.
Jurors heard two of Mr. Combs’s former girlfriends testify about years of sexual encounters with male prostitutes known as “freak-offs” and “hotel nights,” some of which were shown on video. They listened to testimony from former personal assistants, law enforcement officials and a hotel security officer who explained a $100,000 cash payment for incriminating video footage of a hotel assault by Mr. Combs.
In the end, however, the jurors were not persuaded that Mr. Combs had forced two former girlfriends through violence and coercion to have sex with male prostitutes against their will, the core argument of the sex-trafficking charges against him. Neither were they convinced that Mr. Combs and his employees had formed a criminal racketeering enterprise that agreed to commit a number of crimes over the course of a decade, including bribery, arson, sex-trafficking and drug distribution.
When the jurors began deliberating on Monday, they quickly raised concerns to Judge Arun Subramanian, who had sworn them in after a weeklong selection process in May.
About one hour into deliberations, the foreperson reported an issue with one juror, identified as No. 25, “who we are concerned cannot follow your honor’s instructions.” Eleven hours later, the jury said it had reached a verdict on four counts but could not on a racketeering charge because of “unpersuadable opinions on both sides.”
In both cases, the judge told the jury to keep deliberating.
Two weeks ago, Judge Subramanian dismissed a juror after finding that he had given inconsistent answers about his residence, raising concerns that he might have been angling for a role in the case.
Mr. Combs’s lawyers argued unsuccessfully that it would unfairly affect their client if that juror, a state corrections department employee who is a Black man, were removed. The original panel had at least two Black women and two Black men; the alternate who replaced the juror was a white man.
During the trial, Mr. Combs was reprimanded by the judge after he nodded vigorously at the panel when his lawyers cross-examined a witness about an violent incident that she said had taken place on a balcony. The judge called Mr. Combs’s behavior “absolutely unacceptable.” At another point, Mr. Combs smiled and mouthed “cold” to a juror who was rubbing his arms; the juror nodded and smiled back.
During jury selection, jurors were asked about their occupations and the types of music they listened to. Many said they enjoyed classical music, rock and jazz, while a few mentioned they liked R&B and hip-hop.
Some jurors have jobs in finance, health care, and social services. There is also a massage therapist, a deli clerk, a dietary aide at a nursing home and a retired Verizon field technician.
Many of the jurors said during voir dire that they were aware of the charges against Mr. Combs and had seen a video of Mr. Combs assaulting his girlfriend, the singer Cassie, at an InterContinental Hotel in March 2016, which CNN aired in 2024. Still, they assured the judge that they could deliver a verdict based on the facts of the case.
“They’re allegations, right?” one male juror said during questioning in May. “I’m old enough to have heard a lot of stories before trial, and then when the evidence is actually presented, things are, you know — the truth comes out.”
Olivia Bensimon
Before the verdict was read, Sean Combs walked into the courtroom and mouthed “We got this” to his family. He was reading a printout of Psalm 11. When the first “not guilty” racketeering count was read, a family member gasped. As the “not guilty” verdicts for the sex-trafficking counts came, members of his family and his legal team began to cry. When the full verdict had been read, Mr. Combs turned to his family and mouthed “I’m going home.” That will be determined by the judge later this afternoon.
To summarize a whirlwind moment in court: Sean Combs was acquitted of the most serious counts against him, including the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura and another former girlfriend. The jury was not convinced that those women were coerced into the sex marathons with male escorts at the heart of the case. Nor were they convinced that he ran a racketeering enterprise responsible for conspiring to commit crimes. While it isn’t a full acquittal, and Mr. Combs could face years in prison, he was clearly elated by the verdict. It’s the next best thing to a full acquittal for him.
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The court is adjourning for a few hours while the judge considers the arguments from Mr. Combs’s lawyers and prosecutors about whether he should be released.
Sean Combs’s supporters and family are now clapping and whistling for his legal team, who are all embracing each other. Mr. Combs’s lawyers are absolutely ecstatic. This was the best outcome for him outside of a total acquittal.
Sean Combs is on his knees, his elbows on the chair where he was sitting, his head buried. He appeared to be praying. He started a round of applause, which was echoed by his family, who are jubilant.
“Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,” said Marc Agnifilo, Sean Combs’s lead lawyer. He said Mr. Combs would be “nothing short of a fool” to violate the court’s order. “He will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him,” the lawyer said.
With a touch of levity, the judge said he assumed that Sean Combs would not want to return to the Brooklyn jail where he has been held. Mr. Combs shook his head vigorously and put his hands together in prayer.
Sean Combs’s body language is totally different from yesterday, when he seemed crestfallen and grim after the jury said it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts. Now, acquitted of the most serious charges, Mr. Combs appears energetic and relieved.
The prosecution said that Sean Combs faces up to 20 years in prison; each of the Mann Act counts carry up to 10 years each. But it will be up to a judge to decide how long he serves.
The judge said he needs time to consider the law here before making a decision on whether Sean Combs can walk out of this courthouse today. The mogul has been incarcerated since September 2024.
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The jury in the federal trial of Sean Combs deliberated for more than 13 hours across three days before finding the music mogul not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges on Wednesday. Jurors convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, a lesser charge that Mr. Combs’s team considered a victory.
The jury, comprising eight men and four women, said on Tuesday afternoon that it had reached a partial verdict but was deadlocked on a final charge of racketeering conspiracy because there were some members “with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.” After the jurors resumed deliberating on Wednesday morning, they quickly reached a final verdict.
Mr. Combs, 55, will be sentenced at a later date.
The group began deliberating at 11:30 a.m. Monday after receiving legal instructions from Judge Arun Subramanian in the complex case. It soon sent a series of notes to the judge that were closely scrutinized by lawyers for both sides.
The jury’s first note, which arrived about 10 minutes after it began deliberations, was expected: The panel had selected a foreperson.
In the second, sent about 50 minutes later, the foreperson reported an issue with one juror, identified as No. 25, “who we are concerned cannot follow your honor’s instructions.”
After negotiations among lawyers for both sides over how to reply, Judge Subramanian sent a note in response encouraging the jurors to continue deliberating, and telling them to follow his instructions on the law.
Near the end of its deliberations on Monday, the jury sought clarification about whether an individual could be found responsible for distributing drugs if the person who received the drugs requested them.
On Tuesday morning, lawyers for both sides debated the wording of the court’s response — with each side expressing concern that the other’s could mislead the panel — and the judge decided on a brief answer directing jurors to the text of his instructions.
At 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, the jury asked for transcripts of testimony regarding three “freak-offs”: drug-fueled sexual encounters with hired men that Casandra Ventura said Mr. Combs pressured her into. One episode that jurors asked for more detail on took place in a New York hotel room in 2012 or 2013; another in New York in 2012, after Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura flew back from attending the Cannes Film Festival; and a third at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, where Mr. Combs was caught on surveillance footage assaulting her.
After the jurors alerted the court to the partial verdict at about 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Judge Subramanian brought them into the courtroom and encouraged them to continue their discussions.
“I ask at this time that you keep deliberating,” Judge Subramanian said.
He reread the panel an excerpt from the jury instructions that said “no juror should surrender his or her conscientious beliefs for the purpose of returning a unanimous verdict.”
At that point, the jury decided to conclude its deliberations for the day and return on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Joe Coscarelli and Olivia Bensimon contributed reporting.
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