July 1, 2025 - Judge tells jury to continue deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial

Our live coverage has ended. Scroll through the posts below to see how the second day of the jury’s deliberations played out.

The federal jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial reached a verdict in four of the five counts today after deliberating for roughly 12 and a half hours.

The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying they did not reach a verdict count 1, which is racketeering conspiracy that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The judge instructed the jury to continue deliberating. The jury sent a note advising it will continue deliberations tomorrow.

Here’s what you should know:

While the jury deliberates, use the form below to send CNN your questions about the trial.

As the defense and prosecution discussed their response to the jury’s note saying they reached a verdict on four of the five counts against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the prosecution asked for an instruction called an Allen charge.

The Allen charge (aka dynamite charge) is given when a jury returns and reveals that they are deadlocked. The judge will encourage the jury to go back and continue deliberations and try to find unanimity to avoid a mistrial. In this case it would only pertain to count 1, based the jurors’ note.

This does not require jurors to change their vote or reach a verdict.

The defense said it was too early for an Allen charge and suggested more gentle language is used in response to the jury’s note. The judge later addressed the defense and prosecution, saying the government’s proposal isn’t really an Allen charge but essentially reiterates the section of the jury instructions regarding the duty to deliberate.

When the jury eventually entered the courtroom, the judge did not issue an Allen charge.

Instead, he instructed the jury to continue deliberating, saying, “I received your note that you have reached verdicts on count 2-5 but not on count 1. I ask at this time that you keep deliberating.”

The jury will return tomorrow to continue deliberations.

CNN’s Laura Dolan contributed to this report.

Sean “Diddy” Combs whispered to his six adult children seated in the second row behind him before leaving the courtroom.

He also leaned over again to his mother who asked him a few questions. He told her, “I’ll be alright. Love you” and tapped his chest.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The judge today asked jurors to continue deliberating after they said they are unable to reach a verdict on count 1, which is racketeering conspiracy.

If convicted on all counts, Combs could face up to life in prison.

The federal government has used racketeering to go after a dozen college athletic figures and test administrators in the largest college admissions scandal ever prosecuted, former President Donald Trump and musicians like R. Kelly and Young Thug

So, what exactly is racketeering?

Simply put, racketeering means engaging in an illegal scheme. It’s used in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, to describe 35 offenses, including kidnapping, murder, bribery, arson and extortion.

Attorney G. Robert Blakey, who has helped draft racketeering laws in at least 22 states, told CNN that racketeering is not a single criminal act. Prosecutors must prove a pattern involving at least two instances of racketeering activity to convict someone under the law.

Racketeering is “not a specific crime — it’s a way of thinking about and prosecuting a variety of crimes,” Blakey said.

According to the US Justice Department, to convict someone of racketeering, prosecutors must prove five different criteria:

The minimum sentence for racketeering varies by jurisdiction and severity of the crime. Convicted racketeers can also face fines.

In dismissing the panel for the day, the judge said he won’t bring them out in the morning and that they can get started when they’ve all arrived.

They are leaving the courtroom now.

Members of the media report outside federal court in New York on Tuesday.

The jury sent a note that it has completed deliberations for the day and will continue tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET.

The jury has left the courtroom. Judge Arun Subramanian said he’s going to sit on the bench because they might get a note in the next few minutes.

Judge Arun Subramanian has instructed the jury to continue deliberating after they sent a note saying they have reached a verdict in four of the five counts.

He then told the jurors to return to the jury room and to send a note if they wanted to end deliberations for the day.

The jury has entered the courtroom.

The judge is going to instruct them as to their note and also tell them that if they’re done for the day they can send another note saying as much.

Judge Arun Subramanian said he intends to tell the jury “I ask that you keep deliberating” and then recite some of the lines about deliberations from his instructions.

These are the lines from the instructions he’ll recite:

Judge Arun Subramanian and the lawyers are discussing how they will respond to the jury’s note that they are unable to reach a verdict on one of the five counts against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The judge said, “There’s not much there” in response to the defense team’s proposed instruction. He said simply telling the jury to “keep deliberating” would be non-responsive to their note expressing “unpersuadable opinions” as to Count 1.

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said he thinks this jury has been productive and efficient, so they don’t need much encouragement to continue deliberating.

Subramanian said the government’s proposal isn’t really an Allen Charge but essentially reiterates the section of the jury instructions regarding the duty to deliberate.

An Allen charge is a set of instructions that asks jurors to re-examine their own views and opinions in order to reach a decision.

The jury indicating that they are unable to reach a verdict on count 1, which is for racketeering conspiracy, is not “surprising” given the complexity of the charge, according to CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig.

To convict Combs on the racketeering conspiracy count, jurors must find that he and a co-conspirator committed two predicate acts within 10 years, according to the verdict sheet given to the jury.

Those acts include:

The judge is back on the bench now, addressing both prosecutors’ and defense attorneys’ proposals on how to move forward.

The government has asked for a modified Allen charge. The defense said it’s too early for that, and they seem to want more gentle language.

An Allen charge is a set of instructions that asks jurors to re-examine their own views and opinions in order to reach a decision.

Sean "Diddy" Combs watches as lawyers argue with Judge Arun Subramanian on how to respond to a note sent by jurors during his trial in New York on Tuesday.

Jurors in the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs have notified the court that they have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4, and 5, but are unable to reach a verdict on count 1.

Here’s a look at the five counts against Combs:

Count 1 carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Counts 2 and 4 have a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. Counts 3 and 5 each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Both the prosecution and the defense have indicated they want the judge to push the jury to continue deliberating. Combs’ defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said the defense prefers the judge bring the jury out to instruct them in person, rather than sending them a note.

The parties will work on the wording of that instruction.

The jury’s latest note in the federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs marks a “crucial juncture,” CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig said, as the panel indicates it has reached verdicts on four of the five charges — but remains split on the most serious: racketeering conspiracy.

At this stage, the court has two options, Honig said.

In the first option, the judge could send the jury back to continue deliberating, instructing them not to deliver their verdicts on counts 2, 3, 4, and 5. Those charges include two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution.

“If that happens, we may not learn what the verdict is today,” Honig said.

In the second option, Honig said, the judge would ask jurors to report the verdicts they have — making those decisions final — before sending them back to continue deliberating on Count 1.

“We should learn, I would guess within the next few minutes, half hour or so, which of those options the parties and the judge and the jury are going to go for.”

Both the prosecution and defense want the judge to push the jury to continue deliberating.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said the defense would like the judge to bring out the jury to instruct them to continue deliberating rather than sending them a note. They are going to work on the wording of that instruction.

A federal jury has reached a verdict in the racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul accused of operating a criminal enterprise that coerced women into sexual encounters with other men known as “Freak Offs.”

The jury sent a note saying they reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4 and 5 but are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 (racketeering conspiracy).

Combs, 55, is charged with five counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty of the most serious charges, he could face up to life in prison.

Sean “Diddy” Combs us now seated in the courtroom with his lawyers encircled around him. Their expressions are serious.

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo walked to the courtroom deputy, took the note, and handed it to Combs.

The note has a couple lines of handwriting on it.

We’re waiting to learn more about the latest note from the jury.

The jury has sent another note to the judge.

Lawyers are filing into the courtroom now. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother and his sister have also returned to the courtroom.