Jurors in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s sex-trafficking trial begin deliberations | Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs

After seven weeks of testimony from greater than 30 witnesses, jurors within the high-profile federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs have begun deliberations.The 12-member jury – made up of eight males and 4 ladies – started deliberating on Monday, following closing arguments from either side that concluded on Friday and prolonged directions from the decide.Earlier on Monday, Decide Arun Subramanian informed jurors that they have been the “sole and unique judges of the information” who’re to find out a verdict with out bias or prejudice to both of the events concerned.He emphasised that prosecutors had the burden of proving Combs is responsible past an affordable doubt, not proof past any attainable doubt.Combs, 55, was arrested in September and faces felony prices: one rely of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of intercourse trafficking and two counts of transportation to interact in prostitution.He has pleaded not responsible to all the prices and denied the accusations towards him.If convicted, Combs may spend the remainder of his life in jail. He has been held with out bail at a federal detention heart in Brooklyn since his arrest.Prosecutors allege that for over 20 years, Combs led a legal enterprise, aided by staff and associates, that engaged in, tried to interact in and labored to cowl up crimes together with intercourse trafficking, kidnapping, compelled labor, drug distribution, arson and bribery, enticement to interact in prostitution and obstruction of justice.The federal government has sought to show that Combs used violence, threats, cash, medication, intimidation and energy to abuse and coerce two of his former girlfriends into collaborating in “freak-offs”, which have been described as drug-fueled intercourse marathons with employed male escorts.The protection has insisted all through the trial that every one sexual encounters have been consensual and a part of a “swingers way of life”. They’ve argued that no legal conspiracy exists and that Combs is being wrongly prosecuted for his “non-public” and “private intercourse life”.All through the trial, Combs’s attorneys acknowledged previous cases of home violence, however denied that Combs dedicated intercourse trafficking and that any coercion happened.Because the trial started on 12 Could, the jury has reviewed dozens of textual content messages, movies and receipts. The federal government known as 34 witnesses to the stand, together with two of Combs’s former girlfriends, a number of former staff and assistants, a number of male escorts, stylists, resort staff, regulation enforcement brokers and well-known figures such because the rapper Child Cudi and singer Daybreak Richard, amongst others.Key testimony got here from two of Combs’s former girlfriends and alleged victims, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a lady recognized as “Jane”, each of whom described the alleged “freak-offs” in graphic element and alleged that they have been coerced into collaborating.They each testified that Combs directed, watched, masturbated to and generally filmed the sexual encounters.The ladies described instances the place they mentioned Combs was violent with them they usually alleged that Combs would threaten to launch express movies of them or lower off monetary assist in the event that they didn’t meet his calls for.Throughout cross-examination, Combs’s attorneys sought to solid Ventura and Jane as prepared and consenting members within the “freak-offs”. Combs’s staff offered loving and at instances express textual content messages exchanged with Combs – a few of which confirmed the ladies expressing enthusiasm for the encounters. His attorneys additionally incessantly introduced up the position that jealousy and drug use performed of their relationships.One other lady, a former private assistant who testified underneath the pseudonym “Mia”, alleged that Combs bodily and sexually assaulted her throughout her employment.Protection attorneys advised that she fabricated the allegations, and highlighted social media posts and messages from after the alleged assaults during which Mia praised Combs, calling him a “mentor” and an “inspiration”.The federal government rested its case final week. Shortly after, Combs confirmed that he wouldn’t be testifying. His authorized staff additionally rested its case, however opted to not name any witnesses of its personal. As an alternative, his staff submitted proof to the courtroom and relied on its intensive cross-examinations all through the trial.Throughout closing arguments, the prosecution spent practically 5 hours outlining the federal government’s case towards Combs, revisiting testimony from a number of witnesses, and broke down every allegation towards Combs.The prosecution described him as “the chief of a legal enterprise” who refused to “take no for a solution” and alleged that he was somebody who wielded “energy, violence and concern to get what he needed”.“The defendant was a really highly effective man,” she mentioned. “However he grew to become extra highly effective and extra harmful due to the assist of his interior circle and his companies – the enterprise.”The protection supplied its closing argument on Friday, and informed the jurors that the federal government’s case towards Combs was “false” and “exaggerated”.Combs’s lawyer urged the jury to reject the prosecution’s case towards Combs and pushed again towards the federal government’s accusations, disputed varied items of witness testimony, and challenged the prosecution’s portrayal of Ventura and Jane as sex-trafficking victims.Combs’s lawyer solid Ventura, the federal government’s star witness, as a lady with company, somewhat than a sufferer, who willingly participated within the sexual encounters.The lawyer additionally pointed to the $20m settlement she acquired from Combs in 2023 after submitting a civil lawsuit accusing him of abuse, which triggered the federal investigation, in addition to the the $10m Ventura is anticipated to obtain from the proprietor of a resort in Los Angeles the place she was assaulted by Combs in 2016.“In case you needed to choose a winner on this complete factor, it’s arduous to not choose Cassie,” Agnifilo mentioned. “This isn’t a couple of crime, that is about cash.”Although he didn’t take the stand, all through the complete trial, Combs has been engaged and lively in his protection, typically seen whispering to his attorneys and reacting visibly to testimony.Earlier this month, the decide warned that Combs could possibly be faraway from the courtroom for taking a look at and “nodding vigorously” on the jury throughout a cross-examination.