It’s been a wild ride in the courtroom for Sean “Diddy” Combs, and just when you thought it was over, the plot twisted like a bad reality show finale. After weeks of testimony, legal jargon, and more tailored suits than a fashion week runway, Diddy walked away from his trial mostly unscathed.
On Wednesday, a federal jury decided that Combs was not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering, the kind of heavy charges that come with decades in prison and a Netflix docuseries. But before his lawyers could pop the champagne, the jury threw in a curveball. He was found guilty of traveling to engage in prostitution. So, no kingpin status, but yes, he took a trip with bad intentions, and that, apparently, is still very illegal.
The count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, though most legal experts and probably Combs’ astrologer agree he won’t serve anywhere near that, if any at all. In fact, the judge could let him out before sentencing as early as today, which is wildly anticlimactic if you’ve been binge-watching courtroom footage like it’s true crime Christmas.
His legal team has already filed to get him out ahead of sentencing, arguing that he’s not a flight risk. He did try to hide back before all this, after the feds raided his place. But they have ways of keeping track of him, and private jets are a little obvious when you’re trying to lay low.
The wrinkle in this case is that there was an issue with a juror. How in the world was the case allowed to proceed if that was going on in the back room? It should have raised concerns, and with the charges hanging over Diddy, why wasn’t this part of the proceedings taken more seriously?
In a moment that surely made the judge consider early retirement, the jury foreperson flagged concerns about Juror No. 25, who, according to the report, was “struggling to follow instructions.” Now, whether that means legal confusion or simply daydreaming about lunch is unclear, but the judge pulled the juror aside for a private chat. Whatever was said in that room must’ve been convincing, because Juror 25 was allowed to stay. Which definitely won’t spark any internet conspiracy theories, right?
The verdict has sparked debate from all sides. Supporters of Combs see the acquittals as proof that prosecutors overshot. Critics argue that even the single conviction should carry weight and consequences. Meanwhile, the jury probably just wants to go home and sleep for three days.
So what’s next?
Combs will return to court for sentencing, where the judge will decide how much time, if any, he’ll serve. Until then, he might be walking free, working on his image, or avoiding any and all hotels with bad lighting and federal jurisdiction.
It definitely holds true in this case that justice isn’t always black and white. It’s confusing, and this is why it doesn’t make sense for anyone to say that ignorance of the law is no excuse. This is why you need a lawyer, because they know the law. If it takes at least two lawyers and a judge to decide if you did anything wrong, then ignorance of the law is exactly what we all have.
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Just last week, they were putting together a RICO case, and now this happened: Diddy Thought He Was Walking Out But RICO Said Nah
Imagine being a prosecutor and thinking that the major charges are what’s going to put Diddy behind bars for the rest of his life, to find out that a jury doesn’t agree. The “smaller” charges like assault and lewd behavior are still on the table. Death by a thousand cuts is what he deserves at this point, and keep hitting him with everything they have.
Update: Diddy is going to be sitting for a while. Denied bail is a good sign that while the jury might have lost its mind, Judge Arun Subramanian hasn’t. He might have heard enough through the trial to wonder what the jury was thinking. But he’s going to do his part to make sure that Diddy gets served the justice he deserves. I feel better about sentencing now. I think he’ll see some real years with this judge.
