Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Bail denied due to 'propensity for violence'

Jurors in the trial of Sean Combs return to Manhattan federal court Tuesday for their first full day of deliberations after their notes sent conflicting messages about where things stand.

At first, it seemed there was almost immediate discord in the jury room.

Little more than an hour into deliberations, jurors sent a note that read they were concerned one of them, Juror #25, "cannot follow your honor's instructions." That juror is a 51-year-old Manhattan scientist with a doctorate in molecular biology. The note did not say what led the other jurors to raise concerns and the judge sent back his own note reminding them they have a "duty to deliberate" and an "obligation to follow my instructions on the law."

The jury then went quiet for several hours until late in the day came a note asking for clarity about the drug allegations that underpin the racketeering conspiracy charge, perhaps suggesting they had moved on from the unspecified issue with Juror #25.

"If a recipient wants, requests, or asks for controlled substances, and an individual hands over controlled substances to the requester, has the individual who hands over the controlled substances distributed?" the note read.

When Combs read it, he looked stricken. The verdict form instructed jurors to consider the drug offenses and the other racketeering predicates "if and only if" they find Combs guilty of racketeering conspiracy.

There have been about five-and-a-half hours of deliberations so far. Jurors were told to arrive at court and go straight to the jury room to resume their talks at 9 a.m. Judge Arun Subramanian will convene the lawyers to discuss his response to the jury's question.

The jury has concluded their deliberations for the day, the foreperson said in a note.

"We will end at 5 p.m. and resume at 9 a.m. tomorrow," the note said.

The jury also sent a separate note regarding how to understand the narcotics distribution allegations Combs faces.

In their third note of the day, the jury asked whether a person asking for drugs before receiving them changes how jury should consider the narcotics distribution allegations in the case.

The note specifically referenced page 36 of the jury instructions, which reads, "The elements of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance are: 1. The conspirator distributed a controlled substance, or possessed a controlled substance with intent to distribute it; 2. The conspirator did so knowingly and intentionally; and 3. The substance was in fact a controlled substance."

Prosecutor Maurene Comey argued that the judge should tell the jury that someone asking for drugs does not have an impact on how the jury should view the allegations. Whether or not the drugs were requested, she argued, does not change that the actions amount to illegal distribution of a controlled substance. Comey had previously argued that the jury can convict Combs for racketeering conspiracy based on two instances of narcotics distribution alone.

"There is clearly some misunderstanding about what the recipient thought or did. It doesn't," she said.

Combs' attorneys requested more time to consider how to respond to the question.

The fourth and final note of the day said the jury planned on ending their deliberations at 5 p.m. and resuming Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Judge Arun Subramanian previously said the jury could set their own schedule for deliberations.

He brought the jury back into the courtroom to thank them for their service, remind them to avoid any news about the case, and return promptly to resume the deliberations on Tuesday. He also told them that they would have an answer to their question abouts narcotics distribution by the morning.

Combs sat ramrod straight at the counsel table and looked at the jury, as Judge Subramanian dismissed them.

"You should continue to have an open mind when you resume your deliberations with one another," Subramanian said.

The first note indicated their choice of foreperson, and the second note concerned a juror who could not follow the judge's instructions, according to the note from the foreperson.

The contents of the note were not immediately known.

One of the jurors is having trouble following the judge's instructions regarding the law, the foreperson wrote in a note.

"We are concerned Juror 25 cannot follow your honor's instructions," the note said.

The foreperson requested that the judge speak with the juror or interview him to prevent confusion.

Juror #25 has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and works as a scientist. During the jury selection process, he also said he is a veterinarian and that he lives in Manhattan with his partner. He told the judge that he is vaguely aware of the allegations against Combs, based on news reports.

The judge is now giving each side 10 minutes to hash out a response to the note.

The judge will return to court at 2:00 p.m. ET to finalize the instruction.