What happens next in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial now jury has reached verdict
A decision has been announced.
A US jury has announced its verdict on Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ future after deciding on five counts, here is what happens next.
The 55-year-old was charged with two counts of sex trafficking, one count of racketeering, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution after he was arrested last September.
He denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Combs was found not guilty on counts one and two, the alleged racketeering conspiracy and the alleged sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura; and count four, the alleged sex trafficking of former girlfriend ‘Jane’.
The rapper was found guilty on count three and five, the Mann Act Transportation of Casandra Ventura and ‘Jane’.
What is racketeering?Count one is the most serious charge of racketeering – put simply, organised crime. The charge was created in the US to bring down mafia bosses, and if found guilty Combs faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Jurors have reached verdicts on all five charges (Picture: REUTERS) Over the past weeks the court has heart testimonies from people including Cassie Venture over Combs’ ‘freak offs’ (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)Racketeering conspiracy, or directing an illegal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), is the formal name for the charge.
The Government argues Combs used his business empire and network of associates to run a criminal organisation and cover up his crimes.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial update – what’s next?A jury can only give a verdict on a charge if all 12 jurors agree. A unanimous verdict on all five counts was delivered on Wednesday.
The charge of transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while sex trafficking has a 15 years minimum sentence.
Court hearings began in New York in May, with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and fellow rapper Kid Cudi among those taking the stand over the last few weeks.
The court has heard about Combs’ alleged days-long sex parties, or ‘freak offs’ during which he allegedly coerced multiple alleged victims into sex acts.
After six weeks of testimony, the jury began their deliberations on Friday, before announcing their unanimous verdict on Wednesday.
Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, and initially charged with three offences – racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
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Previous Page Next Page Combs faces up to 20 years in prison (Picture: Paras Griffin/Getty Images)Two extra counts of the latter two offences were added in April, bringing the total to five.
Combs is currently being held at the courthouse having been behind bars since his September arrest at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, which was previously home to rapper R Kelly and Ghislane Maxwell.
Combs’ sentence will be decided during a separate sentencing hearing but the two counts he has been found guilty of could see him imprisoned for a maximum of 20 years. It will be down to the judge how long he serves.
Prosecutors are pushing for Combs to be held in jail until his sentencing while his defence team are pushing for him to be released on bail.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey has said the ‘defendant does pose a danger’ and will push for the full 20 years.
‘The freak offs became a job,’ previously Venture told jurors, reportedly sharing that they could last up to 36 or 48 hours, with the longest one she was involved in taking four days.
Those participating in the marathon sex sessions would routinely require recovery from drug use, dehydration and fatigue, it was alleged.
Combs would allegedly blackmail Ventura with videos of the ‘freak offs’ to get her to do more, she claimed.
Last year, after Ventura and Combs settled a suit in which she alleged rape and physical abuse over the course of their 11-year, on-off relationship, CCTV footage emerged of the rapper assaulting Ventura and dragging her across the floor of the InterContinental Hotel in LA.
The footage was played out during the first day of his trial in May.
Combs previously issued an apology shortly after the video was made public.
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