Jurors in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal criminal trial in NYC are now deliberating following more than an hour of directions from Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday morning.
After the jury of eight men and four women was seated, Subramanian went through each charge in front of the gallery, telling jurors that “actions may speak louder than words.”
The court instructed jurors to assess for themselves how credible they found each witness… “The evidence is the testimony,” he added, telling the jurors to keep track of the actions of everyone they believed to be involved in the events described.
READ MORE: The Defense Of The Diddy Trial May Be Permitted To Take A Break Next Week. The Verdict Is Imminent
Diddy is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Following seven weeks of testimony from ex-girlfriends and former employees, the defense and prosecution rested their cases on Friday. Diddy declined to testify at the trial, and the defense did not bring any witnesses despite thoroughly cross-examining each of the prosecution’s witnesses.
The court instructed the jury that witnesses who had been granted immunity should be “examined with greater care” than other witnesses.
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He stated, “Certain witnesses were permitted to be identified by pseudonyms” (referring to “Jane” and “Mia”), and “That should bear on your evaluation of credibility.”
Judge Subramanian further stated, “The defendant had no obligation to testify, and he did not. You must not place any emphasis on that.”
The judge also addressed related activities mentioned during the trial, such as arson, bribery, witness tampering, and drug distribution. He also stated that charts and summaries would not be available in the jury chamber, but that each juror would be given a copy of the judge’s instructions.
The judge informs them, “Your verdict must be unanimous,” and instructs them not to read any news reports about the trial… before thanking them for their service over the previous two months.
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