Jury reaches verdict on all charges except racketeering conspiracy
The jury in Sean Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial reached a partial verdict, but remained divided on one count. Deliberations are expected to continue Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. ET.
The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian at around 4:05 p.m. saying that they’d reached verdicts on four of the five charges against Combs, but remained divided on the racketeering conspiracy charge. The note said that there were jurors with “unpersuadable views on both sides.”
While both the prosecution and defense told Subramanian that they wanted the jury to keep deliberating, they differed slightly on the best way to respond to the jury’s note. Prosecutors asked for a modified Allen charge — essentially an instruction urging the jury to reach a verdict — while the defense said they believed such forceful language wasn’t required at this time.
Subramanian didn’t appear particularly moved by either proposal. To the defense’s, he said, “There’s not much there,” per CNN. While he acknowledged that the prosecution didn’t seem to call for an Allen charge, but more so a reiteration of the jury’s duty to deliberate.
While Subramanian expressed concern that telling the jury to “keep deliberating” would not be a sufficient response, that’s essentially what he told the jury before dismissing them for the day.
“I ask that you keep deliberating,” Subramanian said, before reiterating some of his original instructions about jury deliberation, such as, “It is your duty as jurors to consult with one another and to deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement. Each of you must decide the case for himself or herself, but you should do so only after a consideration of the case with your fellow jurors, and you should not hesitate to change an opinion when convinced that it is erroneous. Discuss and weigh your respective opinions dispassionately, without regard to sympathy, without regard to prejudice or favor for either party, and follow my instructions on the law.”
This story is developing…
