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Diddy’s federal trial reached a stunning conclusion this morning when the jury of 12 everyday New Yorkers delivered a mixed verdict, acquitting him on the more serious counts, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, but finding him guilty on two interstate prostitution charges.
Diddy faces a potential prison sentence of as much as 20 years. But with the not guilty verdict on the three other counts in the U.S. government’s case, he has avoided a maximum possible sentence of life behind bars.
The seven-week trial inside the federal courthouse in Manhattan featured 34 government witnesses and reams of oftentimes graphic testimony about drug-dazed “freak offs” and alleged physical assaults. U.S. government prosecutors attempted to paint a scathing portrait of a man who, they argued, refused to take “no” for an answer.
Ultimately, though, the jury panel was not convinced that the Grammy-winning rapper led an alleged criminal enterprise or sex-trafficked two of his ex-girlfriends, the R&B singer Cassie Ventura and a woman identified by the pseudonym “Jane.”
The mogul’s lawyers insisted that both Ventura and Jane were willing participants in marathon sexual encounters with male escorts in luxury hotel rooms. The defense didn’t call any witnesses to the stand, but it used cross-examinations to portray Ventura and Jane as consenting adults and highlighted text messages in which both women expressed enthusiasm about “hotel nights.”
Diddy, who had pleaded not guilty to all counts, still faces a raft of civil lawsuits accusing him of rape and sexual assault — and it remains to be seen whether he can ever recover his position at the height of American music, where he helped catapult hip-hop into a worldwide phenomenon.
Thank you for following along with us over the last two months. Stay tuned for more coverage of this case on NBCNews.com.
The view from inside
By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas, Katherine Koretski and Jing Feng
The tension and anxiety inside the courtroom were palpable when the jury informed the court it had reached a unanimous verdict. Diddy, who appeared increasingly on edge yesterday, sat at the defense table with his head down. You could practically hear a pin drop.
Then the verdict was read to the court. The jurors were stoned-faced and didn’t appear to look directly at the defendant.
Diddy’s team was clearly elated. Teny Geragos, one of his lawyers, wept and wiped away tears with a tissue. The attorneys hugged each other. (In fact, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo hugged Geragos so tightly he picked her up off the floor.) Diddy, for his part, got down on his knees, put his head on his chair and prayed.
Diddy’s family members— including his mother, Janice Combs — clapped and cheered loudly. They left the building without taking questions, ignoring the throngs of photographers and passersby who had massed outside the courthouse.
“I want to really thank all of you for your hard work and dedication,” U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian told the jurors. He praised them for their “tremendous sacrifice … with no reward other than answering the call to public service.”
Analysis: How will sentencing play out?
By Laura Jarrett
Diddy’s defense team and federal prosecutors will submit to the court what they believe is an appropriate sentence for the music mogul.
Misty Marris, a defense attorney and legal analyst, told me that Diddy’s team will likely ask for no more jail time, considering the time served. The prosecution will likely ask for closer to the maximum recommendation.
The probation department then will review the case and make a recommendation based on various factors — including the fact that this is the first time Diddy has been convicted of this type of charge and his behavior behind bars.
“The judge is really limited in those sentencing guidelines. There’s discretion up to that 10 years, but they’re going to use those guidelines in order to really pin down what would be appropriate under the circumstances,” Marris told me.