After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury had a mixed verdictpublished at 18:43 British Summer Time
18:43 BST
Image source, Jane Rosenberg / BBC
Last week the jury spent about 14 hours deliberating what had been a nearly two-month trial.
A panel of 12 New York jurors found Combs not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, charges that carried a potential sentence of life in prison. He was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Prosecutors had argued that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” with his network of loyal employees to traffic drugs and coerce women into unwanted sexual encounters.
The jury had heard testimony from 34 witnesses, including two of Combs’ ex-girlfriends, Casandra Ventura and a woman testifying under the pseudonym of Jane.
The women testified that they were pressured to participate in so-called “freak-offs”, when Combs would watch and film as his girlfriends had sex with male escorts.
Combs rejoiced after hearing the verdict acquitting him of the most serious charges last Wednesday, falling to his knees and planting his face in his seat at the defence table.
His lawyers pushed for him to be released from jail immediately, but the request was denied by Judge Arun Subramanian.
The judge argued Combs was ineligible to be released because of the severity of the prostitution charges and his history of violence and illicit drug use, including while he was under federal investigation.