US v. Sean Combs: Jury Reaches Partial Verdict (Not revealed)

Judge Subramanian Sends Jury Back To Deliberate on RICO Count

At approximately 4 pm today, the jury in the Sean Combs sex trafficking trial sent out a note stating that they had reached a verdict on four out of the five counts in the indictment, but they were deadlocked on Count 1 (RICO). The judge did not allow the jury to announce those verdicts, but rather sent them to continue to deliberate on the RICO count.

I was interviewed by CTV to discuss here.

To elaborate, we know that the jury has reached unanimous verdicts on Count 2 (sex trafficking of Cassandra Ventura), Count 3 (interstate travel for purposes of prostitution in connection with sex trafficking of Cassandra Ventura), Count 4 (sex trafficking (sex trafficking of “Mia”) and Count 5 (interstate travel for purposes of prostitution in connection with sex trafficking of “Mia), but we do not know what the verdicts are on those counts.

The most likely scenario is that the jurors voted to convict on Counts 2 - 5, but there was one (or more) holdout on the RICO count because of the highly technical requirements to obtain a RICO conviction.

It is also possible that the jurors split their verdicts on the two sex trafficking counts. The government’s evidence with regard to the coercion of Cassandra Ventura to engage in the “freak offs” was far stronger than their evidence of coercion of “Mia”.

It is also possible (but unlikely) that the jurors have voted to acquit on both sex trafficking charges, but are split on the RICO charge because sex trafficking was not the only RICO predicate charged.

I think that the least likely scenario is that the jurors voted to acquit on all four counts where they have reached a verdict, but are split on the RICO charge. The evidence with regard to Sean Combs fostering interstate travel of sex workers to engage in the “freak offs” went largely unrebutted. The only defense raised was the claim that the sex workers were not being paid for “sex” but only for their time.

The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow morning at 9 am. Until then with regard to Counts 2 - 5, this is Schrodinger’s verdict. The answer is already determined, but it is unknown until the reveal.