NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy Combs was convicted of a prostitution-related offense however acquitted Wednesday of intercourse trafficking and racketeering prices that might have put certainly one of hip-hop’s most celebrated figures behind bars for all times.
The blended end result got here on the third day of deliberations. It may nonetheless ship Combs, 55, to jail for so long as a decade and is more likely to finish his profession as a hitmaking music government, style entrepreneur, model ambassador and actuality TV star.
However the verdict cleared him of prices that might have put certainly one of hip-hop’s most celebrated figures behind bars for all times.
After they learn the decision, Combs held his fingers up in a prayer movement, jury and hugged his protection lawyer Teny Geragos.
Combs was convicted of flying folks across the nation, together with his girlfriends and paid male intercourse staff, to have interaction in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.
However the jury of eight males and 4 ladies acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and intercourse trafficking prices, associated to allegations that he used his cash, energy and horrifying bodily drive to control his girlfriends into a whole lot of drug-fueled intercourse marathons with the lads.
Combs and his protection group argued that the ladies have been keen individuals and that none of his violence justified the severity of the costs.
After the decision was learn, Combs continued to pump his proper fist subtly, seemingly happy that he was acquitted on essentially the most severe prices.
U.S. District Choose Arun Subramanian was weighing whether or not to grant Combs bail within the wake of the decision. He adjourned the court docket whereas he considers whether or not to free Combs on bail.
Combs, 55, has been behind bars since his arrest in September. His attorneys argued that the acquittal on essentially the most severe counts modified the authorized panorama sufficient that he ought to get bail.
Combs appeared buoyant arriving within the courtroom earlier Wednesday morning, a distinction to his temper a day earlier after he realized that the jury at his intercourse trafficking trial had reached a yet-to-be-disclosed verdict on all however one of many 5 prices.
Combs smiled and clasped his fingers collectively within the air towards his household and supporters earlier than hugging a number of of his attorneys and sitting right down to await the result of the jury’s third day of deliberations.
On Tuesday, Subramanian ordered the jury to proceed its closed-door discussions for a 3rd day after the panel of eight males and 4 ladies stated it was unable to succeed in consensus on the highest depend: racketeering conspiracy.
The decide agreed with prosecutors and Combs’ protection group that lower than 13 hours of deliberations was too quickly to surrender on reaching a verdict on all counts.
In a observe to the court docket late Tuesday, the jury stated “unpersuadable opinions on either side” amongst some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy cost.
The disclosure of Tuesday’s jury observe in regards to the partial verdict had appeared to place protection attorneys and their consumer in a dour temper even earlier than it was learn in open court docket by the decide.
Eight protection attorneys fashioned a half-circle behind Combs as the grins and lighthearted temper that accompanied the arrival of different jury notes over two days appeared absent because the attorneys contemplated the likelihood that jurors had reached an settlement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties.
Combs appeared morose as his attorneys spoke with him. At one level, the hip-hop mogul solemnly learn a chunk of paper that lawyer Marc Agnifilo handed to him.
After the jury got here in for directions after which exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a couple of minutes. As he stood to go away, he confronted his kin and supporters within the viewers, blew a kiss and tapped his coronary heart, as he steadily has carried out in the beginning and finish of every day.
Then he paused earlier than his mom and exchanged just a few phrases, telling her, “Love you” and “I’ll be all proper.”
Marshals then led him from the room.
