Why did the jury reject the racketeering charge in Diddy’s trial? Legal reasoning explored

Diddy's federal s*x trafficking and racketeering trial verdict was announced on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. As reported by CNN, the jurors acquitted Diddy on charges of racketeering and s*x trafficking. They found him guilty on two counts under the Mann Act, ie, transporting people across state lines for prostitution.

Legal experts cited the reason why the jury did not find Diddy, also known as Sean Combs, guilty of the racketeering charge. They said that it was primarily because the prosecution failed to prove that he was running a criminal enterprise under the RICO Act.

Combs faced serious charges, including racketeering, s*x trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, and had pleaded not guilty to all.

More on why the jury rejected the racketeering charge in Diddy’s trial?

Lorraine Gauli-Rufo, an attorney at LGR Law in New Jersey, who has worked on several racketeering cases, provided a statement to Time, explaining the legal reasons why the jury did not find Combs guilty of the racketeering charge. She said:

''We think that [the jury] probably found him as a sole individual, not an enterprise—not a group that existed with a common purpose. And if that was the case, that would explain why they didn't find [Combs] guilty on the RICO count.''

While the jury did hold him guilty on two Mann Act charges (transporting people for prostitution), it wasn’t enough to satisfy the 'pattern' of crimes required by RICO.

The evidence, such as text messages, presented in court showed that the women were willingly participating, suggesting that their behavior was personal and consensual, and did not have any links to a criminal enterprise.

A former Manhattan prosecutor, Michael Bachner, provided a statement to Business Insider, explaining his view on the racketeering charge. He said:

''The jury needed separate racketeering acts.''

Meaning that to charge Diddy, the jury had to find at least two distinct crimes that were part of an ongoing criminal operation. He also stated that during deliberations, the jury sent a note to the judge requesting clarification on drug distribution laws, indicating that the jury was uncertain about what types of acts constitute racketeering. He then added:

''Given the facts of this prosecution, I think it was a stretch, even though I think the evidence was there.''

He said that the government had some evidence, but labeling it racketeering was a legal overreach. He added, saying that framing the isolated behaviors of Combs as a framework for organized crime was a stretch.

As of now, Combs is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, and the judge has scheduled a remote hearing for Tuesday at 2 p.m. (ET) to discuss Diddy's sentencing further.

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