A juror in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ case has defended their decision to acquit the Bad Boy Records founder of the most serious charges in his federal sex trafficking trial.
The “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper, 55, was last week found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted on two sex-trafficking charges and one racketeering charge.
Following the verdict, a jury member has slammed the public’s response as “highly insulting and belittling to the jury and the deliberation process.”
“We spent over two days deliberating,” the juror, who asked not to be named, told ABC News. “Our decision was based solely on the evidence presented and how the law is stated.”
“We would have treated any defendant in the same manner regardless of who they are. I have nothing else to say,” they added.
During an eight-week trial, Combs’ lawyers picked apart the prosecution case with mostly gentle but firm cross-examinations. Combs never testified and his lawyers called no witnesses.
While the public’s response to the verdict was indeed a mixed bag, the rapper’s attorney Anna Estevao said it was a “huge win” for him — even though his bail was denied.
“He was acquitted of sex trafficking, acquitted of RICO conspiracy,” she told reporters outside a Manhattan courtroom, per NBC News. “He will be able to sleep well at night knowing that.”
Judge Arun Subramanian decided not to release Combs on the $1 million bond his defense team requested, meaning he will remain behind bars until his sentencing hearing on Oct. 3.
The acquittals on the sex trafficking counts mean he will avoid a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. He could have faced life in prison if he were convicted of sex trafficking or racketeering conspiracy.
Combs now faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts.
Over the weekend it was revealed that Combs received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after winning acquittals on potential life-in-prison charges.
“They all said: ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government,’” attorney Marc Agnifilo said.
“I said: ‘Maybe it’s your fate in life to be the guy who wins,’” he recalled during a telephone interview briefly interrupted by a jailhouse call from Combs. “They need to see that someone can win. I think he took that to heart.”
