The expectation on Friday was that the jury for the trial against hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs would complete the selection phase, with opening statements to begin on Monday. That calendar has been delayed, however, as multiple closed-door recesses led to postponing final selections to Monday, May 12. There were some additional pieces of information that came to the forefront, including concerns about potential jurors as well as the defenses strategy against a key state witness.
Diddy Trial Jurors To Be Finalized After Weekend
Friday jury selection in the Diddy sex-crimes trial began earnestly, with the day 5 pool of 45 quickly being cut down to 43. One potential juror removed themselves from the pool, while another was disqualified for failure to disclose their lawsuit against the state of New York. However, before the jury could be questioned further, there was a recess, the second in two days, between the lawyers and the judge. Upon conclusion of said recess, it was determined that jury selection would be pushed to Monday, with the court starting an hour earlier.
It was brought to the court’s attention by the attorneys that some jurors may raise issues about the Diddy trial over the weekend, and that could be a determining factor in their fitness for trial. The courts agreed. Despite the delay, thought, opening statements are still expected on Monday, with jury selection being completed in the added hour window of time. It will be up to the legal teams on both sides to come up with a total of 12 jurors, with 6 alternates.
The jury pool has been hammered with questions throughout the week, including “being repeatedly asked if they, a family member, or a friend had been a victim of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or domestic violence, and whether they or a loved one had been charged or accused of such crimes,” according to USA Today. The intense and often challenging questioning has already gone through multiple rounds, and it is expected that both sides likely have a plan of action in place, barring any surprise issues over the course of the weekend.
Diddy Attorneys Reveal Defense Plan For Key Juror
One of the challenges Diddy’s defense team faces is the allegations and evidence against him regarding his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who is expected to testify that he forced her into sexual interactions through threats and violence. She is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution. In court on Friday, the defense informed the judge which direction they intend to take in their questioning of the witness.
According to Reuters, “Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo told U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian during a hearing Friday that he plans to show there was mutual violence between Combs and his ex-girlfriend. ‘I think we’re probably going to refer to that as domestic violence,’ Agnifilo said, arguing Ventura’s alleged history of violence would undercut prosecutors’ argument that she was a victim.” While U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian did not appear likely to allow any evidence of violence perpetrated by Ventura to be allowed at trial, the official ruling will come down Monday.
Previously, the Diddy defense team has made clear their intention to discredit the reliability of witnesses by revealing their financial gain in accusing the hip hop mogul. They have also made claims that the prosecution is attempting to criminalize swinging instead of simply seeing it as an alternate lifestyle, a point that was also addressed with potential jury members.
The prosecution, according to Reuters, says “that for two decades, Combs used his business empire to lure women into his orbit with promises of romantic relationships or financial support, then violently coerced them to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances known as ‘Freak Offs’.” Opening statements on Monday should shed more like on each side’s plan of attack for the trial. Diddy has previously turned down a plea deal, and if convicted, could be facing decades to life in Federal Prison.
This story will continue to be updated as new facts come out about the trial, including the makeup of the jury, and any new claims or statements from the opening. The trial could span several weeks.
