Diddy sat still in a Manhattan federal courtroom as jurors announced they had reached decisions on four of five criminal charges but remained at odds over the most serious allegation — racketeering conspiracy.
At 4:05 p.m. ET, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian read a note from the jury stating they had reached unanimous verdicts on Counts 2 through 5 but were split on Count 1. That charge accuses the Bad Boy Records mogul of running a criminal organization that trafficked women, laundered money and used violence to maintain control — the centerpiece of the federal government’s case. The judge declined to reveal the jury’s decisions on the four resolved counts, which include two charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution. Instead, he instructed the panel to continue deliberating on the racketeering charge, hoping to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury will return Wednesday morning (July 2) to resume discussions. If they remain deadlocked on Count 1, the court could accept the partial verdicts and declare a mistrial on the unresolved charge. The deliberations have stretched into a second day and have already produced five notes to the judge. One note raised concerns about a juror’s ability to follow legal instructions.
Another note asked for clarification on drug distribution, specifically whether handing over controlled substances at someone’s request constitutes distribution. That inquiry came as jurors reviewed testimony involving alleged drug use and transactions during private encounters described in court.