Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Recap: Jury Deliberates Verdict

Warning: This story contains details of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Seven weeks after it began, the prosecution and the defence have rested their cases in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Now the jury has retired to consider their verdict. Here's a recap of the trial and what to expect.

When did the Diddy trial start?

His trial began seven weeks ago on May 12. Mr Combs was arrested in New York in September and was kept behind bars until his trial after being denied bail three times.

Where is the trial at now?

The jury is now deliberating on their verdict. This is done in secret. The 12 jurors must decide whether the prosecution — the legal team trying to convict Mr Combs — proved all elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. All 12 jurors must agree to convict on each count.

What was Diddy charged with?

He is defending five charges in this criminal trial: One count of racketeering conspiracy, Two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, Two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Mr Combs pleaded not guilty to all five charges.

What does racketeering mean?

Racketeering generally refers to the illegal activity of a criminal organisation. In this case, the prosecution is accusing Mr Combs of using his business, the Combs Enterprise, to violently coerce and blackmail women to perform sex acts, among other criminal acts.

What happened in the trial?

The prosecution called a total of 34 witnesses to testify in court. Two main witnesses were former girlfriends of Mr Combs: Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman using the alias 'Jane'.

According to the source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.