High-profile trial commences in New York courthouse, featuring Sean 'Diddy' Combs as jury selection unfolds.
It's all go down in Manhattan, New York, as the trial for hip-hop icon Sean "Diddy" Combs kicks off. Wearing a casual yet sharp outfit, complete with a grey goatee, Combs gave his lawyers a warm welcome as he entered the federal courthouse on Monday morning.
Table-setting is underway for the jury to decide Combs' fate, with the pre-trial phase focused on selecting an unbiased, impartial panel. Combs, charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and other offenses, has maintained his innocence through it all, proclaiming all sexual encounters were consensual.
With a media frenzy surrounding the high-profile case, jury selection will take all week, with opening statements starting next. Unlike some high-profile trials in the US, this one won't be broadcast live as federal courtrooms don't allow electronic recordings.
In the courtroom, Judge Arun Subramanian is presiding over the process, starting proceedings shortly after 9am ET, making various rulings on what experts will testify, and posing questions to prospective jurors to test their open-mindedness.
Among the probing questions, potential jurors are asked about their personal opinions on Combs, law enforcement, hip-hop artists, sex, drugs and people with multiple sexual partners, their exposure to celebrities, and whether they have experienced domestic violence or any bias that could interfere with their judgment.
Names of celebrities and others mentioned throughout the trial include Michael B Jordan, Mike Myers, Kanye West, Aubrey O'Day, Dawn Richard, and Michelle Williams. Allegations surrounding Combs reportedly involve "Freak Offs," drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers.
If found guilty, Combs faces up to decades in prison. The defense argues any sexual activities were consensual, while the prosecution alleges coercion, violence, and a widespread criminal racket.
Prospective jurors are carefully examined to ensure they can remain impartial despite media coverage, and even Combs himself expressed his approval or disapproval amid the questioning.
Jury selection continues throughout this week, with the trial expected to last around eight weeks. Now that you're in the know, brace yourself for updates in this blockbuster trial.
Please note, Sean "Diddy" Combs has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation for prostitution, among other charges. If found guilty, he could face up to a lifetime in prison. Potential jurors are asked extensive questions to confirm their impartiality, including their views on Combs, law enforcement, the music industry, sex, drugs, and more. Allegations against Combs include forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, obstruction of justice, and sexual exploitation.
Jury selection for the trial of hip-hop icon Sean "Diddy" Combs continues, with cases of war-like scrutiny over potential jurors' biases towards Combs, law enforcement, the entertainment industry, sex, drugs, and more. As the trial progresses, expect updates on the high-profile case involving allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other offenses, with the defense arguing for consensual sexual activities, and the prosecution alleging coercion and violence.
