Sean Combs: The jury gets the case.

Summary

Dateline: True Crime Weekly Episode: Sean Combs: The Jury Gets the Case
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Host: Andrea Canning, NBC News
Description: A comprehensive coverage of the high-profile racketeering trial of Sean Combs, exploring courtroom dynamics, jury instructions, public sentiment, and expert legal analysis.

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Introduction

In this pivotal episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly, host Andrea Canning and NBC News reporter Blaine Alexander delve into the latest developments of Sean Combs' racketeering trial. Having pleaded not guilty to all charges, Combs’ case has drawn significant media attention and public interest. This episode provides an in-depth examination of the courtroom proceedings as the jury begins deliberations, offering listeners a detailed overview of the trial's key moments, expert insights, and the broader societal implications.

Courtroom Developments and Jury Instructions

Blaine Alexander introduces the episode by highlighting the culmination of more than six weeks of intense courtroom testimony. As the jury, composed of eight men and four women from Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester, prepares to deliberate, Judge Arun Subramanian provides essential instructions to ensure a fair and unbiased verdict.

Chloe Melas, NBC News correspondent, shares her observations from outside the courthouse:

"There were already people congregating to get inside the doors of the courthouse, members of the press from all over the world. You can feel sort of the anticipation, the anxiety a bit in the air."
— Chloe Melas [03:00]

Melas describes the charging process as a critical phase where the judge outlines the legal framework the jury must follow:

"The judge, going through all of these directions, essentially what sorts of evidence and testimony they can pay attention to and other things that they should exclude and not have, you know, be a part of their decision-making process."
— Chloe Melas [03:33]

Legal analyst Danny Savalos emphasizes the significance of jury instructions, noting that they provide the backbone for the jury's decision-making:

"Jury instructions are quietly and arguably the most critical part of a trial. [...] The jury decides the facts and the judge tells them what the law is. And they must follow the jury instructions."
— Danny Savalos [11:44]

Jury Dynamics and Public Sentiment

The episode explores the engagement levels of the jurors during the instructions. Chloe Melas observes:

"Several of these jurors look incredibly engaged, right? I mean, they're taking notes, they're paying very close attention. And there always have been a few that look like they can't wait to get out of there and go to a barbecue or the pool."
— Chloe Melas [04:30]

The support system surrounding Sean Combs is also highlighted. While celebrities like Kanye West have been seen in court, Chloe Melas notes a lack of widespread celebrity endorsement:

"We haven't seen any big name celebrities come out in his defense outside of Kanye. So that kind of tells you something."
— Chloe Melas [08:47]

Public opinion remains divided. Chloe Melas summarizes the chatter from various media and social platforms:

"I've seen people say that the government has not proven their case, that this is a witch hunt. Let Diddy live. [...] But then there's others who say this is a man that has abused his power and gotten away with it for years. He is a drug addict and an abuser of women, both physically and emotionally, and that this is a reckoning."
— Chloe Melas [07:58 –08:47]

Legal Insights and Analysis

In the latter part of the episode, Danny Savalos provides a detailed analysis of the jury instructions and their potential impact on the verdict:

"The prosecution has put in more than enough evidence for a jury to convict Combs, to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all elements. But that doesn't mean that I don't think an acquittal is possible."
— Danny Savalos [16:37]

Savalos explains the delicate balance jurors must maintain between personal beliefs and legal obligations:

"Reasonable people disagree on whether or not people are credible. Because here's the thing. We all bring our own life experiences. We all bring our own unconscious biases. We bring all kinds of things to the table when we evaluate the evidence."
— Danny Savalos [14:54]

Addressing listener questions, Savalos discusses the possibility of future charges and civil cases post-trial:

"If we're talking about Jane and the alleged incident last summer in California where she said he supposedly kicked down her doors and forced her into a freak off, well, if it was just last summer, then the statute of limitations for aggravated assault and some other crimes can be up to three years in California. So theoretically it's possible."
— Danny Savalos [17:36]

He also draws parallels to historical cases to illustrate potential outcomes:

"A great example is the case of O.J. Simpson. O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, but thereafter he was sued and found liable for the deaths of his victims."
— Danny Savalos [18:43]

Awaiting the Verdict

As the jury deliberates, Chloe Melas describes the atmosphere outside the courthouse and the anticipation surrounding the imminent verdict:

"We'll be in there for certain testimony. [...] So this lead up and now a verdict potentially soon. It's what it's all about."
— Chloe Melas [06:10]

Savalos concludes that the prosecution's evidence is robust, yet acknowledges the unpredictability inherent in jury verdicts:

"The government has given them enough to convict."
— Danny Savalos [16:32]

Conclusion

This episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly offers a thorough exploration of Sean Combs' racketeering trial, presenting viewpoints from courtroom correspondents and legal experts. It underscores the complexities of the judicial process, the critical role of jury instructions, and the multifaceted nature of public opinion in high-profile cases. As the legal drama unfolds, listeners are provided with the necessary context and analysis to understand the potential ramifications of the jury's impending decision.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Chloe Melas [03:00]: "There were already people congregating to get inside the doors of the courthouse, members of the press from all over the world. You can feel sort of the anticipation, the anxiety a bit in the air."

• Danny Savalos [11:44]: "Jury instructions are quietly and arguably the most critical part of a trial."

• Chloe Melas [07:58]: "I've seen people say that the government has not proven their case, that this is a witch hunt. Let Diddy live."

• Danny Savalos [16:37]: "The prosecution has put in more than enough evidence for a jury to convict Combs, to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all elements."

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Stay Informed: For continuous updates and in-depth analysis of ongoing true crime cases, subscribe to the Dateline: True Crime Weekly newsletter at nbcnews.com/diddy.

Transcript

[Andy Richter]

Hi there, it's Andy Richter and I'm here to tell you about my podcast, the three Questions with Andy Richter. Each week I invite friends, comedians, actors and musicians to discuss these three where do you come from, where are you going, and what have you learned? New episodes are out every Tuesday with guests like Julie Bowe and Ted Danson, Tig Notaro, Will Arnett, Phoebe Bridgers, and more. You can also tune in for my weekly Andy Richter call in show episodes and where me and a special guest invite callers to weigh in on topics like dating, disasters, bad teachers, and lots more. Listen to the three Questions with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Blaine Alexander]

This is on Trial, a special series from Dateline True Crime Weekly, bringing you daily coverage from the Sean Combs racketeering trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. I'm Blaine Alexander and it's Monday, June 30th. Just a heads up here in this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter. Today, after more than six weeks of testimony, the jury of eight men and four women from Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester got the case. Before they did. Judge Arun Subramanian gave them instructions. It's called charging the jury. NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalos is going to join us to tell us why those instructions might actually be the entire ball game in this case. But first, of course, we're joined by NBC News correspondent Chloe Melas. She's outside of the courthouse, as she has been for almost two months, to tell us what's going on inside. Hi Chloe.

[Chloe Melas]

Hey, Blaine.

[Blaine Alexander]

It is unbelievable that we are actually here. I've got to say, over a year.

[Chloe Melas]

I've been waiting for this.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, yes, absolutely. So I really just want to first talk about the mood around the courthouse. You got there pretty early today. You had a hit with today's show. So we're talking about well before 7am what was the atmosphere like this morning?

[Chloe Melas]

I mean, there were already people congregating to get inside the doors of the courthouse, members of the press from all over the world. You can feel sort of the anticipation, the anxiety a bit in the air.

[Blaine Alexander]

Does it feel different today than it has, say, over the past few weeks?

[Chloe Melas]

I would say there's a sense of relief that things have moved on track, that it does look like this might wrap up before the 4th of July. So the judge said that this is when he wanted the jury to get the case. And well, he was right.

[Blaine Alexander]

He's done it. Absolutely. They've done it. So the jury is brought in and the judge is charging the jury. What did it feel like inside the courtroom?

[Chloe Melas]

I mean, it's incredibly exciting, right, to be at this pivotal moment in this nearly two month trial. And the judge, though, going through all of these directions, essentially what sorts of evidence and testimony they can pay attention to and other things that they should exclude and not have, you know, be a part of their decision making process. It's eight men, four women, and perhaps they're not gonna see eye to eye on everything. Oh, sorry. That's what New York City's like.

[Blaine Alexander]

When you're out on the street in front of the courthouse, we can expect a lot of that. When you talk about jury instructions, this isn't necessarily the most gripping stuff. I'm curious how jurors were responding. Were they taking notes? Were they leaning in? Were people kind of zoning out? What did it look like?

[Chloe Melas]

Several of these jurors look incredibly engaged, right? I mean, they're taking notes, they're paying very close attention. And there always have been a few that look like they can't wait to get out of there and go to a barbecue or the pool. And look, I can't. I can't blame them, but it is their civic duty. Blaine, I just can't wait to get to talk to some of these jurors. I'll be fascinated to find out what those conversations are like in the deliberation room. And what were they convinced of and what were they not convinced of, if anything?

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm curious about Combs himself. How did he appear today? What was his demeanor?

[Chloe Melas]

Not as stressed out as he looked when prosecutors were making their closing arguments? I mean, he had his head in his hands. He was, like, looking around, fidgety, and I mean, Combs is fighting for his life. Six of his kids were in the courtroom. The judge actually closed the room after the jury began deliberating and allowed him to spend some time with them. Right. I mean, that's pretty nice. This is judgment day. So he did, though, seem eerily calm.

[Blaine Alexander]

You talked about his family there in the courtroom. I'm curious if anybody else showed up to support him. Obviously. Earlier, we had a celebrity sighting from Kanye west, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Yay. Have we seen any more celebrity sightings?

[Chloe Melas]

We haven't. What we have seen is his mother in the courtroom. Mama Combs nearly every single day. His children, some friends of his, nieces, nephews. A former longtime publicist of his. It's been packed on his side the last couple of days.

[Blaine Alexander]

What's the overflow like? Is that area still packed? Is it still kind of buzzing?

[Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Announcer]

It is.

[Chloe Melas]

You really get to hear what members of the press who can't be in the courtroom because it's too full. So people are kind of sharing their thoughts, and then obviously, people from the street, members of the public. And so we'll be in there for certain testimony. Like when I go in in the afternoon sometimes, and I can't get back into the main courtroom, you hear gasps, you hear laughter, you hear people calling things out. Sometimes there's outbursts. Sometimes people are getting thrown out of there. One guy ate, like, a Subway sandwich and he got kicked out. I mean, for a journalist, I don't know if you are, but I'm definitely a bit of an adrenaline chunky. So this lead up and now a verdict potentially soon. It's what it's all about.

[Blaine Alexander]

I think we all are, to a degree, to be in this profession. Right. And I completely understand that.

[Andy Richter]

Right.

[Blaine Alexander]

So now it's just a waiting game, Chloe. I mean, what does that look like? Where are people going to be waiting as we wait for the jury to come back?

[Chloe Melas]

Well, I shall be waiting on a hot New York City City sidewalk. A lot of people are under their tents. Umbrellas, yes. But a lot of people are staying inside the courthouse. There's a cafeteria on the eighth floor. And then members of Combs family and his legal team, they're elsewhere. So they will find out when the jury has reached a verdict, and the judge will give them time to get back. But it's not going to be long. I think it's about 15, 20 minutes. So they can't go far, especially with New York City traffic.

[Blaine Alexander]

So, Chloe, of course everyone's talking about this. You talked about being out there on the sidewalk sandwiched amongst other media, but what is the world saying about this? I mean, we're talking about traditional media, your legacy media. But then there are also a lot of podcasters, a lot of bloggers, a lot of tiktokers and influencers who are also there covering this and dispatching this information. What's the chatter?

[Chloe Melas]

It's split. I've seen it all.

[Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Announcer]

Yeah.

[Chloe Melas]

I've seen people say that the government has not proven their case, that this is a witch hunt. Let Diddy live. You know, he had a freaky lifestyle, but a lot of people potentially in Hollywood, in politics, athletes might partake in the same sorts of things. Right? So I've seen that. But then there's others who say this is a man that has abused his power and gotten away with it for years. He is a drug addict and an abuser of women, both physically and emotionally, and that this is a reckoning. I do think it's telling, though, Blaine, that you haven't seen any big name celebrities come out in his defense outside of Kanye. So that kind of tells you something.

[Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Announcer]

Yeah.

[Blaine Alexander]

Last question to you, Chloe. I mean, as much as there are tea leaves to be read here, do you have any thoughts, best guesses on how long we may have to wait for a verdict here?

[Chloe Melas]

I think it's going to come down before the fourth.

[Blaine Alexander]

I mean, we're talking about a lot for jurors to kind of have to parse through. We're not just talking about a, you know, simple one count indictment here. This is. This is a lot of information for them to sift through here.

[Chloe Melas]

I think they're going to be spending the majority of their time deliberating rico, if I had to guess. And if they have about, you know, two days or two and a half days on that, I think it's enough.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, well, Chloe Moss, our eyes and ears inside the courtroom at all times. Thank you so much, and we will be watching with you.

[Chloe Melas]

Thank you. Here we go.

[Blaine Alexander]

Here we go. And when we come back, NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalos is here to tell us what exactly the judge said to the jury and if he thinks the prosecution has made its case.

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[Andy Richter]

Hi there, it's Andy Richter and I'm here to tell you about my podcast the three Questions with Andy Richter. Each week I invite friends, comedians, actors and musicians to discuss these three questions. Where do you come from, where are you going, and what have you learned? New episodes are out every Tuesday with guests like Julie Bowen, Ted Danson, Tig Notaro, Will Arnett, Phoebe Bridgers, and more. You can also tune in for my weekly Andy Richter Call in show episodes where me and a special guest invite callers to weigh in on topics like dating, disasters, bad teachers, and lots more. Listen to the three Questions with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Blaine Alexander]

Welcome back everyone, and we are joined by Danny Savalos, my friend. Good to have you here.

[Danny Savalos]

Oh, thanks for having me.

[Blaine Alexander]

You know, Danny, you and I have talked about a lot of court cases over the years, but certainly none like this. The first question I want to ask you what are jury instructions?

[Danny Savalos]

Right. Jury instructions are quietly and arguably the most critical part of a trial. And yet Hollywood, all the movies and TV shows we've ever watched completely ignore the jury instruction process. And I think I know why. It's not sexy, it's not exciting. It is incredibly boring, even for me as an attorney. The jury instructions are, at the end of the case, what the judge tells the jury about how to apply the law to the facts. The jury decides the facts and the judge tells them what the law is. And they must follow the jury instructions. They take a long time for the judge to read and they're dry and sometimes boring. But they can be the difference between an acquittal and a conviction.

[Blaine Alexander]

So it kind of gives the jury a framework to work within as they go back to the deliberation room.

[Danny Savalos]

Exactly right. So for example, they've heard all about these different facts and they have them all swimming around in their head or on their notepad. The judge will tell them Essentially, if you are to convict Mr. Combs of, for example, transportation and aid of prostitution, well, here are the elements they have to show transportation, they have to show prostitution. It's a little more complicated than that. But those are the elements of those crimes, and they have to read out the elements for each of these crimes. And then a bunch of other things like credibility of witnesses. The jury actually gets instructions on how to evaluate the credibility of different witnesses and evidence.

[Blaine Alexander]

You know, I wanted to talk about that because in this. I mean, a lot of this hangs on witness testimony, of course, testimony from Jane Cassie Ventura. What did the judge say about that?

[Danny Savalos]

So what the judge gave the jury was what I would say is a pretty standard set of jury instructions for witness credibility. Typically, a jury is told it's your job to determine the credibility of witnesses. There are no magic formulas. You can consider all kinds of things, and you can look at their demeanor. You can consider whether they had a bias. And that, by the way, is very important because often witnesses have motivations to testify. Right. Certainly the defense explored the motivation of money, lawsuits, things like that. And they're instructed that they can consider things like that. So really, the instruction is largely, use your instincts.

[Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Announcer]

Sure.

[Blaine Alexander]

And I would imagine that that is what could lead to a lot of the disagreements back in the deliberation room. Right. And so it comes down to each individual's kind of gut feeling when it comes to credibility.

[Danny Savalos]

Yes, absolutely. And I know this from talking to jurors and even, you know, as serving as an arbitration judge myself with a panel after the case is over, invariably you find that no two people really saw the case exactly the same. You might have one juror who thinks, well, this witness was completely not credible. And then someone else says, well, I believed every word that witness says. Reasonable people disagree on whether or not people are credible. Because here's the thing. We all bring our own life experiences. We all bring our own unconscious biases. We bring all kinds of things to the table when we evaluate the evidence. And so it's no surprise that jurors often find themselves, at least at the beginning, in bitter disagreement about what they saw in that courtroom.

[Blaine Alexander]

And the jurors also got some specific instructions about their behavior, what they are allowed to do during this time.

[Danny Savalos]

Exactly. Right. Yeah. So, I mean, they're told, of course, not to talk to anyone about the case, not to do any background research. You know, a lot of what a judge does during a trial is manage jurors. These are a bunch of strangers who come together, and they all behave differently. And sometimes they don't always get along. So, believe it or not, you know, it may sound like he's talking to school children, but there are several instructions that deal with juror behavior. You can't go investigate the case. You can't talk about it with friends.

[Blaine Alexander]

No Googling. Right?

[Danny Savalos]

No Googling, no investigating. None of that. But there are some important ones. And really, it's don't give up your beliefs just to get to a unanimous verdict. Now, that's one I look at with a somewhat skeptical eye, because part of jury deliberation is haranguing and arguing with each other until you maybe change people's minds. And that happens all the time. So if they get to unanimous after a lot of argument, then presumably some people have changed their mind throughout the course of deliberations, which is the way the system is supposed to work.

[Blaine Alexander]

And I know that in there, the judge also expressed gratitude. I mean, this has been a big chunk of these people's lives for the past two months or so.

[Danny Savalos]

Judges really are careful to be as respectful as they can be to jurors, while at the same time, you know, practically kidnapping them out of their lives for several weeks. So one of the things I had not heard before was the judge was actually inviting them to. That he would give them a tour of the courthouse. I thought that was really nice. That was a nice touch. Yeah, I thought that was great.

[Blaine Alexander]

It'll be interesting to see who takes the judge up on that, considering the time that they've spent there in that courthouse, but.

[Danny Savalos]

Right, right.

[Blaine Alexander]

In your opinion, did the prosecution meet its burden of proof here in this case?

[Danny Savalos]

The prosecution has put in more than enough evidence for a jury to convict Combs, to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all elements. But that doesn't mean that I don't think an acquittal is. Is possible. I think an acquittal is possible. I think the jury may. At least some jurors might think this was a case that was overcharged and maybe much ado about nothing. But I still think when they get in that jury room and they look at the elements in the jury instructions, the government has given them enough to convict.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, Danny, this is interesting. We actually have a question from one of our listeners who wants to know a little bit more about this process.

[Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Announcer]

Yeah, hi, this is Sandy from Atlanta, Georgia. My question regarding Diddy's trial after this is over, can he still be charged for domestic abuse? I understand that's not a viable charge in the current case going on, but I'm curious if he can still be charged after this for domestic abuse. Thank you.

[Blaine Alexander]

So what do we think, Danny? What's the answer?

[Danny Savalos]

Hi, Sandy. Thanks for listening. So there are a couple different possibilities. If you're talking about the hotel beating video and Cassave Ventura, then the answer is probably not. That was about a decade ago. So probably any statute of limitations for assault in that state or in any state may have passed. But if we're talking about Jane and the alleged incident last summer in California where she said he supposedly kicked down her doors and forced her into a freak off, well, if it was just last summer, then the statute of limitations for aggravated assault and some other crimes can be up to three years in California. So theoretically it's possible. It's really a question of do state authorities, knowing what they know now, do they think this is a case they feel like bringing? Because as you mentioned earlier, you know, assault cases are really he said, she said they're about witness credibility. So, I mean, if the local prosecutors feel they have a case, then they can seek an indictment or charges against Diddy. But I'm not getting the sense that anyone's really excited to do that at this stage.

[Blaine Alexander]

And Danny, after this is over, I mean, is it possible that we see more civil cases?

[Danny Savalos]

Yes. And again, the statute of limitations plays a role. But there have been some 80 civil cases filed against Diddy and there really may be more. In fact, I would expect more to be filed after a verdict because in the course of a criminal prosecution, prosecutors often dig up a bunch of evidence that plaintiffs attorneys can use afterward in a civil case. A great example is the case of O.J. simpson. O.J. simpson was acquitted of murder, but thereafter he was sued and found liable for the deaths of his victims. And that really just highlights the difference in the burden of proof between beyond a reasonable doubt and just a mere preponderance of the evidence, often expressed as loosely 51%.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, Danny Savala's breaking it down for us. As always, thank you so much and always a joy to talk to you.

[Danny Savalos]

Thank you.

[Blaine Alexander]

Thanks so much for listening. And we will be back with a new episode as soon as we get a verdict. If you want to read the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC newsletter. Diddy ON trial go to nbcnews.com diddy to find that newsletter. On Trial is produced by Franny Kelly with help from the Dateline True Crime Weekly team. Our senior producers are Alison Orr and Liz Brown Kurloff. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.

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