Diddy Trial Heads to Jury as Experts Cite Doubts Over Key Charges

After more than six weeks of intense testimony and arguments, the prosecution and defense in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial have now rested. The case—featuring 34 witnesses—will now move into jury deliberations, where the fate of the hip-hop mogul will be decided.

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Prosecutors allege that Combs led a criminal enterprise involving violence, threats, forced labor, and bribery, targeting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a pseudonymous accuser referred to as “Jane.” They claim these threats were used to coerce the women into sexual acts like “Freak Offs” and “hotel nights,” and to safeguard Combs’s public image.

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Combs faces five charges in total: one count of racketeering conspiracy under the RICO Act, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts related to transporting individuals for prostitution. The prosecution must prove that these acts were part of an ongoing criminal organization—his RICO charge. If convicted on the most serious charges, Combs could face life in prison or at least a 15-year sentence, but legal experts are quick to note that convictions are not guaranteed.

“This is not a walk in the park case; this is not a home run, at all,” said trial attorney and legal analyst Misty Marris. She pointed out that the prosecution’s case contains “technicalities” and weaknesses that could introduce doubt in the jury’s mind.

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One major challenge for prosecutors is proving the existence of a criminal enterprise. Under RICO, the government must show that Combs and at least one other person committed multiple “predicate acts”—such as forced labor, witness tampering, or transportation for prostitution—within a ten-year period, all to support the enterprise. Initially, prosecutors included allegations of attempted kidnapping and arson among those crimes, but they recently dropped those theories to focus more narrowly on prostitution and forced labor—an effort to simplify their case.

Analysts like CNN’s Joey Jackson describe the central question as whether Combs was heading an organized crime operation or simply acting as a “very flawed and broken person” privately. Jackson said, “Or was he running a legitimate, iconic business that was overwhelmingly successful…and just doing some personal things.” That tension between corporate mogul and alleged criminal mastermind has dominated courtroom narratives.

The charges of transporting individuals for prostitution are easier to prove, given documented travel and transactions. But establishing a broader conspiracy—where Combs’s entourage is framed as members of an enterprise—remains the prosecution’s biggest hurdle.

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Meanwhile, Combs’s defense has emphasized the personal and consensual nature of the alleged encounters, arguing that these were private matters, not part of a criminal network. They’ve portrayed Combs as a successful businessman whose mistakes in his personal life are not criminal conduct warranting a RICO conviction.

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Judge Gardner is expected to reject or approve the defense’s request for acquittal on various counts and then charge the jury. The jury’s deliberation will be one of the most closely watched outcomes in recent celebrity trials.

As closing arguments approach, the case takes its final turn. Whether it’s a guilty verdict or not, the legal precedent set—particularly how RICO applies to alleged private consensual conduct—could resonate beyond this courtroom, influencing how high-profile figures are prosecuted in the future.

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