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SEAN "Diddy" Combs could learn his fate today after jurors reached a split verdict in his federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
The courtroom received a letter from the jury at around 4:05 pm on Tuesday, informing the judge that jurors had reached a verdict on four of the five counts.
The note said the jury reached a verdict on counts 2-5, which are the sex trafficking and transportation for engaging in prostitution charges.
However, it also indicated that jurors were unable to agree unanimously on count 1 - the racketeering conspiracy charge.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled to give the jury more time to deliberate over the deadlocked charge after receiving proposals from the prosecution and the defense on how to move forward with the split verdict.
Moments later, the judge dismissed the jury for the day and instructed them to continue their deliberation on count one on Wednesday morning.
If agreed by the jurors unanimously, the full verdict could be announced in the courtroom today.
Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence if convicted of either prostitution charge, and a minimum of 15 years if convicted of either sex trafficking count.
He faces a life sentence if convicted on the racketeering conspiracy charge.
BLISTERING CLOSING ARGUMENTS
In closing arguments, prosecutors described Combs as the "leader of a criminal enterprise" who used his expansive "wealth, power, violence, and fear to get what he wanted."
"He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said.
"It was his kingdom. Everyone was there to serve him."
The core evidence of the prosecution's case was the disturbing and graphic nature of the drug-fueled "freak-offs" that at times Combs allegedly coerced his ex-girlfriends to participate in with male escorts.
Slavik described to jurors how Combs forced his former lovers Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura and "Jane" into participating in the punishing sex marathons and with the help of an inner circle of "loyal lieutenants" covered up the alleged crimes.
Ventura and Jane were sometimes required to perform the lewd acts, which were also called "hotel nights and wild king nights," while they were hurting from urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to prosecutors.
Ventura testified that the choreographed encounters, which she said were directed by Combs, could last days, with the longest she ever participated in being four days.
On the other hand, Combs' defense team slammed the prosecution's case as an attack on "your bedroom" and one's sex life.
“They go into the man’s bedroom. They go into the man’s most private life. Where is the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life. That’s the crime scene," Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lead defense attorney, said during closing arguments.
Agnifilo summarized the seven-week trial as a "tale of two trials," arguing one side is the one told by the evidence of the case, by witnesses, videos, and text messages, and the other was a "badly, badly, exaggerated" story told by prosecutors.
The defense attorney argued the sexual encounters involving Combs, Ventura, "Jane," and male escorts were consensual, and called the "freak-offs," which were sometimes video recorded, "homemade porn."
"You want to call it swingers, you want to call it threesomes, whatever you want to call it, that is what it is - that's what the evidence shows," Agnifilo told the jury.
Read More on The US Sun
"He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.”
Read our live blog of the verdict of Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial...
US vs. Sean Combs Day 33
Today could be the final day of the US vs. Sean Combs trial.
The grueling seven-week trial could come to an end on Wednesday, if the jury reach a unanimous verdict on the five federal counts, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
On Tuesday, the jury informed the judge that they had reached a consensus on count 4-5 - those being the sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution crimes.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs is present in the courtroom
Sean Combs entered the 26th floor courtroom of the US District Courthouse in Lower Manhattan shortly after 9 am on Wednesday as he awaits the jury's final verdict.
The music mogul appeared to be "a lot more relaxed" than Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
Combs greeted his mother, Janice, as he entered the courtroom, and as he done throughout the trial, embraced his defense team with hugs and smiles.
The jury's consensus of the partial verdict that was reached on Tuesday afternoon is unknown.
Complexity of the RICO charge
The racketeering conspiracy charge stumped jurors as they failed to agree unanimously on whether or not Sean "Diddy" Combs was operating a criminal enterprise.
The federal government alleged that for decades, Combs used his businesses and employees to carry out crimes such as kidnapping, arson, sex trafficking and coerced his girlfriends to participate in sex marathons with paid male escorts.
An inner circle of loyal employees helped Combs set up hotel rooms for his "freak-offs," prosecutors alleged.
The employees stocked the rooms with red lights, drugs, baby oil, lubricants, and even coordinated with medical personnel to administer IV to Combs and his girlfriends to help them recover from the punishing toll of the freak-offs, according to prosecutors.
The prosecution alleged that Combs' workers would also clean up the damages to the hotel rooms to protect the music mogul's public image.
However, the defense argued that Combs did not engage in a criminal enterprise, and insisted, the sex marathons were part of the defendant's personal sex life.
Combs' defense attorney have pushed back against the prosecution's claims that the Bad Boy Records founder coerced his ex-girlfriends into participating in the "freak-offs."
Instead, the defense argued that the sexual acts were consensual.
Sean Combs shown in a sketch image surrounded by his defense team
The jury will resume dilberating shortly
Jurors are expected to reconvene at 9 am EST.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who is presiding over Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial, instructed the jurors to head straight to the jury room first thing Wednesday morning.
There is no deadline for when the jury is expected to have a verdict on the final charge.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian is presiding over Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
A snapshot of Combs in court
When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable.
Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors.
The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors.
As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery.
I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan.
A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery.
At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul.
What happens today?
Today, the jury will return to continue their deliberations.
As a reminder, the jury reached a partial verdict yesterday when it managed to unanimously agree on four of the five charges.
It was the most serious charge - racketeering - over which the jury was unable to reach a consensus.
A note passed to the court said: "We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5.
"We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides."
Cassie gave birth two weeks after testifying against Diddy
Cassie Ventura gave birth to a baby boy two weeks after testifying against Diddy.
She gave birth to her third child with partner Alex Fine after going into labour in late May.
What allegedly happened at Diddy's 'Freak-Off' sessions?
Prosecutors say Diddy, with the help of his staff, "abused, threatened and coerced women" into drug-fueled sex orgies with male prostitutes, which he branded "freak-offs".
During the trial, the jury were shown video recordings of the alleged freak-offs, which Combs argued were entirely consensual.
Cassie Ventura alleged she was forced into "freak-off" sessions lasting up to four days.
Watch again: Diddy's attack on Cassie
Horror full unedited vid shows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attack on ex Cassie Ventura during ‘freak off’ party in LA
Reminder of Diddy's charges
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The US Sun.
"Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges.
"The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases."
Another set of charges is over sex trafficking.
Rahmani said: "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion.
"The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful.
"Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes."
Diddy looked 'solemnly' as he read note handed to him by his defense attorney
After hearing about the jury note, Sean Combs' demeanor turned grim as his lawyers huddled around him and explained what was happening.
At one point, Combs' lead defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, stepped away from the huddle and returned with a piece of paper.
Agnifilo then handed the paper to Combs, who "read it solemnly," according to the Associated Press.
What are the verdicts on count 2-5?
The jury informed Judge Arun Subramanian that they had reached unanimous verdicts for counts 2-5, the four sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
However, the judge refused to read out the verdict on Tuesday before he instructed the jury to continue deliberating on count 1, the RICO count.
The jury will resume deliberating on the racketeering count on Wednesday at 9 am.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs shown in a sketch image from Tuesday's proceeding
Diddy will have to wait until Wednesday to learn his fate
Combs will be forced to wait until Wednesday to learn his fate after the judge refused to read out the four counts the jury reached a verdict on.
It's unclear how the jury swayed on counts 2-5.
However, the jury remains deadlocked on count 1 - the racketeering conspiracy charge.
The RICO count frames the entire case as organized criminal behavior.
Diddy whispered to his family 'I love you'
Before leaving the courtroom, Sean 'Diddy' Combs whispered to his six children seated in the spectators gallery.
Combs then leaned over to his mother, Janice, and told her, "I'll be alright. I love you," and tapped his chest.
What happened after the jury reached a split verdict?
Judge Arun Subramanian received a letter from jurors at around 4:05 pm that read the jury had reached a verdict for counts 2 to 5.
Counts 2 to 5 were the two sex trafficking, for both Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura and "Jane," and the two transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
Jurors were deadlocked on the racketeering conspiracy crime.
Judge Subramanian weighed on whether to allow the jury to read their split verdict, or give them more time to deliberate.
Prosecutors proposed a modified Allen charge - a set of instructions that asks jurors to re-examine their own views and opinions in order to reach a decision.
On the other hand, Sean Combs' defense team argued to give the jury more time to deliberate as they had already reached a verdict on counts two to five.
"I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5, but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating," the judge told the jury.
The jury will return tomorrow at 9 am
Jurors will reconvene at 9 am on Wednesday to continue their deliberation.
The verdicts for counts two to five were not read to the courtroom.
The jury is dismissed for the day
The judge has dismissed the jury for the day.
Judge Subramanian informed the jurors that they should head directly to the jury room tomorrow.
"Do not watch or read about this case," the judge cautioned the jury.
Judge moves to give jurors more time to deliberate
Judge Arun Subramanian has instructed the jurors to go back to the deliberation room and continue deliberating the deadlocked charge.
"I ask you to return to the jury room. If you decide you are done for the day, send me another note and I'll bring you back out to end the day," the judge told jurors.
'Unpersuadable juror'
The note from the jury read that there are "unpersuadable on count 1 on both sides," meaning jurors are split between a guilty verdict and innocence.