Kara Scannell Describes the Moment Sean "Diddy" Combs Verdict Was Read

Inside the Courtroom as the Verdict Arrived

• 🏛️ The courtroom was tense as only Combs’s lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, was present, and a courtroom deputy approached with an envelope, signaling the imminent arrival of the verdict.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family members, including his mother, sons Justin and Christian, and twin daughters, were seen leaving in a van just before the verdict was announced.
• 🤫 Combs’s legal team retreated to a side room, which was the first indication to observers that a verdict had been reached and that the situation was different.

The Jury's Delivery and Reactions

• 🧑‍⚖️ The jury returned to the courtroom, and jurors avoided looking at Combs, filing into their seats with a serious demeanor.
• 🤫 A profound silence fell over the courtroom as the judge announced the jury had a verdict, with Combs sitting with his head down, appearing to read something without visible reaction.
• 😟 Combs’s legal team displayed visible nervousness, with drawn faces and frowns.
• 🎤 The foreperson stood to read the verdict, and as the first count, racketeering conspiracy, was read as not guilty, a collective “yes” was heard from his family.
• 😮 The second count, sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura, was also read as not guilty, eliciting an overwhelming sense of emotion and relief from the family, despite the judge’s request for quiet.

Post-Verdict Proceedings and Family Reaction

• 🙏 Combs’s attorney requested his immediate release, citing family support and the high stakes of the charges.
• 🗣️ Combs vigorously shook his head “no” when the judge considered his continued detention, showing his first significant reaction.
• 🤗 He then hugged his lawyer and later turned to his family, expressing “I love you” multiple times, particularly to his mother.
• 👏 Family members erupted into applause, with some dabbing tears of relief, and his legal team embraced, with family members chanting “Dream Team.”

Bail Decision and Public Opinion

• ⚖️ The judge is considering whether to grant bail, with a 1 p.m. deadline for parties to submit arguments.
• 🚫 The prosecution argues Combs is a violent person and a flight risk, opposing his release despite acquittal on serious charges.
• 💰 Combs’s team is proposing $1 million bail, while the judge is seeking case law on bail denial for prostitution charges.
• 🗣️ Public opinion outside the courthouse is divided, with passionate arguments from both sides regarding domestic violence, the justice system, and the verdict.