The jury members in the Federal Conspiracy Judgment of Extortion and Sex Trafficking of Sean “Diddy” Combs have reached a complete verdict on Wednesday that the musical titan in prison for life could get if it is declared guilty of the most serious positions.
The announcement occurs on the third day of deliberations in a seven -week trial after the jury said Tuesday that he agreed four of the five positions, except in the only position of extortion conspiracy.
The United States government accused the founder of Bad Boy Records of taking advantage of his power, wealth and influence as head of a “criminal company” to sexually abuse and exploit women for their own satisfaction for two decades.
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The dishonorated music magnate declared himself innocent and has strongly denied the accusations.
His defense launched to the jurors that the case against the combs was “very exaggerated”, and that he was simply in trial for a lifestyle of “swingers”, one dyed of violent behavior and included supplies of drugs and baby oil, that was finally consensual.
Duel representations issued a very different image from the creator of successes born in Harlem, which once ruled the lists of Hip-Hop and R&B, was a fixed element in celebrity circles and promoted his exuberant personality, luxurious lifestyle and commercial activities, even on reality and fashion television, in a global entrepreneur and ambassador of the brand.
The jury of 12 New Yorkers, eight men and four women, had the task of weighing multiple charges against the 55 -year -old combs:
- A position of extortion conspiracy, which entails a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
- Two positions of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, which entails a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum life sentence.
- Two transport positions to participate in prostitution, which entails a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The trial listened to almost three dozen government witnesses, from former personal assistants to stylists to label artists, some voluntarily testifying against combs, while others were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony.
Three women, including the former R&B singer of the combs’ girlfriend, Cassie, were central figures in the case, since they provided graphic testimony of accusations of sexual assault and violence or blackmail threats.
The combs lawyers did not call their own witnesses and the defendant decided not to testify, since much of the defense case was established during the long interrogation of the government’s witnesses.
The high profile trial in a federal court in Bajo Manhattan was not televised. The main room was routinely full, since the mother of the combs and six adult children presented themselves regularly in support, with combs, often in a sweater and caques, turning around, “I love you” or forming your hands in the form of a heart.
In the position of extortion conspiracy, a jury must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant was involved in a company between two or more people to participate in at least two criminal acts that affect interest trade, crimes that may include kidnapping, fire, bribery, forced labor, sex trafficking and other underlying crimes.
For the position of independent sexual trafficking, prosecutors must demonstrate that the accused by force or threat forced others to commit commercial sexual acts in which some value was received, such as money.
Coverage of the ‘Diddy’ test
During his closing argument of almost five hours, the United States assistant prosecutor Christy Slavik reminded the jury of several government witnesses who testified about the alleged crimes. She said that a former comb assistant, Capricorn Clark, was subjected to kidnapping and forced labor, while a romantic combat of combs, rapper Kid Cudi, had her car bombarded in a fire act.
A former assistant who testified under the pseudonym of “Mia” and accused the combs of sexually assaulting her several times was another example of forced labor, said Slavik.
On the two positions of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, Slavik told jurors that they did not need to believe that Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, or another ex -girlfriend, who testified under “Jane”, were involved in sexual acts against their will in each case.
The women testified scare the “hotel nights”, which were the names of drug -induced sexual encounters with male escorts that, as they said, the combs manipulated routinely, otherwise, the recorded videos of explicit sexual acts could be shared with others. (The jury and the combs were reproduced clips of the videos as part of the evidence of the Prosecutor’s Office, but they were not shown to the full court hall).
“Then, if there was once, a single monster, when the defendant knew or unknown that Cassie or Jane were participating due to their lies, their threats or their violence, so that is,” said Slavik, “is guilty.”
The combs defense team said that a legitimate business operated and that it was being unjustly attacked by too jealous prosecutors.
“Sean Com combs has become something that is very, very difficult to be, very difficult to be,” said main defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo in his final arguments of four hours. “He is a successful black entrepreneur made to himself.”
While agnifilo did not deny that combs was consumed by episodes of jealousy and devoted himself to angry diators who involved domestic violence, women, ultimately, chose to keep him, while those of his internal circle had the agency to leave, he said.
“If the extortion conspiracy had something contrary, it would be their relationship,” Agnifilo said about combs and Ventura, who left from time to time from 2007 to 2018.
A key evidence played for the jury repeatedly and Frame By Frame was the security footage that shows the combs physically assault Ventura in a hall of the Los Angeles hotel in 2016. She testified that she was angry because she was trying to leave a monster.
“We own domestic violence. We possess it. I hope you know this,” Agnifilo told the jury, while denying Comong was an intellectual author who conspired with his employees to commit crimes.
“If I were accused of domestic violence, not everyone would be here having a trial because it would have declared guilty because it did that,” Agnifilo said. “He didn’t do the things he was accused of.”
Combs has been arrested without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since its arrest the past fall.
No matter the result of the criminal case, combs must deal with a series of demands that have included accusations of sexual violation and aggression. Com combs, which has denied such accusations, accused several claimants to pursue “days of paid”.
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