Following more than 13 hours of deliberations, the jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s celebrity-studded federal trial adjourned Tuesday without deciding on all counts. Jurors told the court they had decided on four of the five felony counts but were deadlocked on the most complicated: racketeering conspiracy.
Comb’s trial, which commenced on May 12, comprises five charges, two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transporting a person for prostitution, and one count of racketeering conspiracy. Combs, 55, has entered not-guilty pleas to all of the charges and denies all of the allegations. If convicted, he faces the possibility of a life sentence.
Late Tuesday, the jurors sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian that they could not reach agreement on the racketeering count because of “unpersuadable views.” Both the prosecution and defense suggested continued deliberation. Consideration was given to the potential delivery of an “Allen charge,” a judicial charge designed to dispel jury deadlock.
Jurors previously requested clarification on drug distribution, an element of the racketeering count, and asked to have transcripts from some of the major witnesses, including Combs’s former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Prosecutors allege that Combs ran a criminal enterprise for over two decades, using violence, intimidation, and drugs to coerce women into “freak-offs” sex acts involving hired male escorts. The defense insists all encounters were consensual and part of a private lifestyle, denying the existence of any criminal conspiracy.
The jury, composed of eight men and four women, began deliberations Monday following closing arguments. They are expected to resume discussions Wednesday morning.