FILE – Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attends the REVOLT & AT&T Summit on October 25, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY – The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial reached a partial verdict on Tuesday, inching closer to deciding the fate of the hip-hop mogul.
Jurors were only able to reach a final decision on four of the five charges against Combs. They were told to keep deliberating because they were stuck on the top charge: racketeering conspiracy.
The defense pushed for the jury to keep deliberating instead of delivering a partial verdict, stressing that jurors were carefully working through a large amount of evidence without needing to be rushed. They also opposed any attempt to pressure the jury, including an Allen charge.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team filed a new motion to dismiss claims in one of four lawsuits against the rapper. (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
However, once the jury reaches their final decision on that remaining charge and chooses to convict Combs, he could face several years in prison at a minimum.
How much prison time could Combs get?
Dig deeper:
The prison time to which Combs could be sentenced varies from charge to charge. There’s also the possibility Combs doesn’t get convicted of anything and walks away:
- Sex trafficking charge (Two counts): Carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life.
- Transportation to engage in prostitution (Two counts): Carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
- Racketeering conspiracy (One count): Carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated charge because it requires the jury to decide not only whether Combs ran a “racketeering enterprise,” but also whether he was involved in committing such offenses as some or all of various types of offenses, such as kidnapping and arson.
Diddy verdict: What this might mean
A source who is a former federal prosecutor told FOX 5 NY the jury has to unanimously agree on which two predicate acts Combs is guilty of in order to deliver a guilty verdict on the racketeering count.
In March, Combs’ homes were raided by Homeland Security in connection with a human trafficking investigation. (Getty Images)
This means the jury may indicate they’re having difficulty finding which two predicate crimes Combs is guilty of. The source also says, given this is just the first full day of deliberations, the judge will “have no issue ordering them to continue deliberations tomorrow.”
What happens in a hung jury?
A hung jury happens when jurors can’t agree on a verdict, which could lead to a retrial (Legal Information Institute).
What is an Allen charge?
An Allen charge, also called a “dynamite” or “shotgun charge,” is a special instruction a judge gives to a jury that can’t agree on a verdict (Legal Information Institute).
It encourages jurors to keep deliberating and try to reach a unanimous decision. These charges are controversial because some believe they put too much pressure on jurors, especially those in the minority, to change their opinions. For this reason, many states ban Allen charges, but they are still allowed in federal courts.
The term “Allen charge” comes from the 1896 Supreme Court case Allen v. United States, which approved their use in federal cases.
