Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Celebrity names surface during jury selection in sex trafficking case

Jury choice will start as we speak in music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking case.

Combs, 55, rejected a last-minute authorities plea deal in a Manhattan courtoom on Thursday.

A jury of 12 New Yorkers and 6 alternates will must be seated by Wednesday to ensure that opening arguments to start on time.

If he’s discovered responsible on all fees within the case, Combs might be taking a look at life in jail.

The Impartial’s Ariana Baio reviews that there’s a superb chunk of media already exterior courtroom, with broadcasters positioned throughout the road and straight in entrance of the doorways.

Nevertheless, there are not any protesters as but. We’ll see if that modifications.

We additionally gained’t be seeing Combs coming into courtroom as a result of he’s being taken in by way of safe entrance since he’s being held at Metropolitan Detention Heart, in Brooklyn.

Although we would not be seeing Combs himself enter courtroom, a number of of his kids have attended pre-trial hearings to help their father.

They could additionally attend jury choice as we speak. Right here’s extra:

Federal prosecutors have introduced a five-count indictment in opposition to the music mogul:

• Racketeering conspiracy.

• Two fees of intercourse trafficking

• Two fees of transportation to have interaction in prostitution.

Lots of the most extreme allegations relate to the racketeering conspiracy cost.

After rejecting a plea deal final week, Combs, if convicted, faces life in jail.

A member of Diddy’s authorized workforce, lawyer Brian Metal – who beforehand represented rapper Younger Thug – arrived on the courthouse round 8:15 a.m. He didn’t reply to questions as he walked inside.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the previous music mogul, is headed to Manhattan federal courtroom on Monday for his high-profile intercourse trafficking crimes trial.

Prosecutors have charged Combs with racketeering, intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud or coercion, and transportation for prostitution functions. The costs stem from allegations made by 4 unnamed individuals.

Jury choice has begun at Manhattan’s federal courthouse.

Diddy’s household doesn’t seem like current.

We’ll be posting updates all through the day from Ariana Baio and Kelly Rissman, who’re watching proceedings as we speak for The Impartial.

Diddy is dressed formally and carrying studying glasses, seated together with his eight attorneys.

Right here’s a fast information to how jury choice will proceed as we speak.

Some 600 potential jurors have crammed out questionnaires to assist the authorized workforce whittle down the numbers and find yourself with a panel of 12 jurors and 6 alternates in case any of the jurors should step down for some cause — alternates sit via the entire trial and see all of the proof.

Dozens of the prospects can be requested about their questionnaire responses on this voir dire stage, starting as we speak, to establish anybody who may not be neutral.

The questionnaires probably included questions on what they’d learn or heard in regards to the fees in opposition to Diddy, and presumably their very own private experiences linked to the alleged prison acts, for instance, if they’d ever been a sufferer of assault. The same course of was undertaken within the federal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell for intercourse trafficking. If there are questions regarding that, they are going to be requested in a sidebar to guard the privateness of potential jurors.

Whereas the protection and prosecution have a vast variety of “for trigger” challenges to dismiss a potential juror, Choose Arun Subramanian will in the end make the ultimate resolution on whether or not somebody ought to be excused from this high-profile trial.

By the top of the week, either side will be capable of train what are referred to as “peremptory strikes” to take away a juror with none clarification.