The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is at a critical juncture, as jurors have reached a partial verdict but remain deadlocked on the most serious charge of racketeering.
At a Glance
- The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s federal trial has reached a verdict on four of the five criminal counts against him.
- Jurors informed the judge they are deadlocked on the most serious charge, racketeering conspiracy, which carries a potential life sentence.
- The verdicts on the other four counts will remain sealed, as the judge has ordered the jury to continue deliberating.
- The judge is now considering issuing an “Allen charge” to urge the deadlocked jurors to try and reach a consensus.
A Jury at an Impasse
The jury in the high-stakes federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has reached a partial verdict but remains at an impasse on the most significant charge against the music mogul. On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the jury sent a note to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian stating that they had come to a unanimous decision on four of the five counts but were “at a standstill” on the fifth count: racketeering conspiracy.
Jurors in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial said they had reached a verdict on four charges, but were at an impasse over a racketeering-conspiracy count https://t.co/VAf132v85J
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 1, 2025
The verdicts on the other four charges—two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for prostitution—will remain sealed for now. The judge has ordered the jurors to return to the deliberation room to continue their work.
The High-Stakes Racketeering Charge
The jury’s deadlock is focused on the most complex and severe charge Combs faces. To convict him of racketeering, prosecutors had to prove that he ran his music and business empire as a “corrupt organization” engaged in a pattern of criminal activity. This charge carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
As reported by NBC News, the jury’s impasse came after two full days of deliberations, during which they reviewed evidence from the nearly two-month trial that featured testimony from 34 government witnesses.
An “Allen Charge” Looms
In an effort to break the deadlock, Judge Subramanian is now considering giving the jury what is known as an “Allen charge.” As detailed by The New York Times, this is a formal instruction that urges jurors in the minority to re-examine their positions and listen to the majority’s arguments while reminding all jurors not to surrender their own deeply held convictions. It is a standard but sometimes controversial tool used to prevent a hung jury.
The city and the entertainment world now await a final outcome. If the jury remains deadlocked on the racketeering charge, the judge may be forced to declare a mistrial on that count, a messy conclusion to one of the most sensational celebrity trials in recent history.
