New York, USA — The ultimate stage of jury choice within the high-profile federal racketeering and intercourse trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been postponed till Monday, simply earlier than opening arguments are set to start.
U.S. District Decide Arun Subramanian granted a request from Combs’ protection group to delay the final spherical of juror choice, regardless of objections from federal prosecutors. The method, which is anticipated to final lower than an hour, will finalize a panel of 12 jurors and 6 alternates from a pool of 45 potential jurors.
Combs, 55, who has pleaded not responsible, was arrested in September and has since remained in custody with out bail at a federal detention heart in Brooklyn. The trial, which may last as long as two months, facilities round allegations that Combs used his energy and affect within the music trade to sexually abuse ladies over a 20-year interval, from 2004 to 2024.
Prosecutors have charged the Dangerous Boy Data founder with racketeering, intercourse trafficking, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and different crimes. If convicted on all counts, Combs faces a compulsory minimal of 15 years in jail and will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
Key to the prosecution’s case are graphic allegations involving what they describe as “Freak Offs”—drug-fueled orgies wherein ladies have been allegedly pressured to have intercourse with male intercourse employees whereas Combs recorded them. The indictment additionally accuses Combs of bodily abuse, together with choking, hitting, kicking, and dragging victims, generally by their hair. In a single occasion, he’s alleged to have dangled somebody from a balcony.
A pivotal piece of proof is a 2016 video displaying Combs assaulting a longtime girlfriend in a Los Angeles lodge hallway. The footage, which surfaced final yr on CNN, led to public backlash. Combs later issued an apology, stating, “I take full accountability for my actions in that video. I used to be disgusted then once I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Many potential jurors questioned this week stated that they had seen the video, and a few have been dismissed from the jury pool for being too emotionally impacted to stay neutral.
Protection attorneys argue the case makes an attempt to criminalize sexual encounters between consenting adults. They acknowledge that Combs struggled with substance abuse however say he has since sought remedy.
On Monday, prosecutors will likely be permitted to strike six potential jurors, whereas Combs’ authorized group will likely be allowed 10 peremptory challenges. Legal professionals should not required to offer causes for excluding jurors throughout this part.
The ultimate jury is anticipated to be seated by Monday afternoon, with opening arguments more likely to comply with shortly thereafter.
