By GERMANIA RODRIGUEZ POLEO, CHIEF U.S. REPORTER and DANIEL BATES AT THE DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN NYC FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is due back in court today to learn his fate after a tense day of jury deliberations which ended on a cliffhanger yesterday.
The 55-year-old rapper faces life in prison if convicted of the top charge – which the jury is yet to reach a verdict on – and 50 years if convicted of the four that the jury has decided on.
The sticking point for the jury is whether or not to find him guilty of racketeering conspiracy. That charge alleges that Diddy created
and enforced a criminal network to entrap and abuse women. The jury was ordered back into deliberations yesterday after telling the
judge they were ‘unpersuadable’ in their opposing views.
They were quick to decide on the other four charges – two counts each of transportation for prostitution and sex trafficking.
Those charges apply to his treatment of two ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura, and another woman, who has been referred to throughout as ‘Jane’. The rapper mouthed six words to his beloved and devoted mother, Janice, as he left the court yesterday.
‘I’ll be all right, love you,’ he said, as he was led away from a gaggle of nervous lawyers.
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Jury to resume deliberations at 9am
U.S. 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 Tuesday that it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy.
The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs’ defense 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.
How much prison time is Diddy facing?
- Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy – up to life in prison.
- Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) – minimum of 15 years to a maximum of life in prison.
- Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and commercial sex workers – up to 10 years in prison.
- Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”) – minimum of 15 years to a maximum of life in prison.
- Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”) and commercial sex workers – up to 10 years in prison.
Lawyers want jurors to continue deliberating
The prosecution and defense have both asked judge Arun Subramanian to tell the jury to continue deliberating after they said they can’t agree on count 1- racketeering conspiracy.
The judge said there are three paths to take.
The first is to tell the jury to keep going.
The second is an Allen charge – a supplemental intruction from the court encouraging them to re-evaluate their positions and strive for a unanimous verdict.
The judge the third one will come ‘at some point,’ – when ‘the court should advise the jury of the ability to return a partial verdict.’
The judge said ‘but we are not there yet.’
Jury says they have reached a verdict on four of five counts
The jury in Diddy’s trial said they have reached a verdict on all but one of the charges against him after about 12 hours of delibaration on Tuesday.
They say they are unable to reach a verdict on the racketeering charge.
‘We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides,’ the note read.
The announcement came as Diddy was seated surrounded by his eight lawyers, who were talking to him with serious expressions.
