Jury deliberations are set to begin today in the federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean Combs, whom federal prosecutors have charged with leading a criminal conspiracy that allegedly trafficked women and transported prostitutes. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“Find him guilty,” assistant United States attorney Maurene Comey implored the jury during her closing arguments last week.
The defense asked jurors to “summon the courage” to acquit Combs, who conceded he could be violent, jealous and a drug user but whose lawyers argued faced a “badly, badly exaggerated” case to make him appear to be something he is not.
“They have charged personal-use drugs and threesomes as racketeering,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the jury.
The jury is comprised of eight men and four women, aged 30-74, all of whom have a college or advanced degree. They heard more than six weeks of graphic, harrowing testimony about physical violence, degrading sex and psychological trauma.
“For 20 years, the defendant got away with his crimes,” Comey said. “That ends in this courtroom.”
Agnifilo said women like Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who testified for the prosecution, may now regret participating in so-called “freak-off” sexual encounters but consented to do so at the time because that was their “lifestyle.”
Deliberations will begin after Judge Arun Subramanian instructs jurors to consider the law and the evidence.
