Sean “Diddy” Combs began his trial this week, starting Monday, May 5. The hip hop mogul is facing five charges, including racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking, and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Although jury selection was expected to wrap up on day three of the trial, it has continued into Friday. There have been several notable updates, though, and jury selection is nearly complete.
Diddy Trial Nears the End of Jury Selection
Day one and two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial saw some fireworks, as jurors were asked questions on a damning video of Combs at a hotel, and also saw one of Combs’ lawyers get reprimanded for his comments while on a podcast. Days three and four have been a little less eventful in that regard, but the legal teams are closing in on a finalized jury. Once the jury is selected, it is expected that opening statements will begin on Monday, May 12.
Possibly the most entertaining part of the Diddy trial thus far happened on day three. A potential juror had a very honest answer for the judge when he explained that he could not complete the provided questionnaire because he was binge-watching Andor. When asked if his focus could be on the trial, the juror stated, “Like I said, I was bingeing — I’m just being lazy,” according to USA Today.
Among the questions asked of the potential jurors for the Diddy trial were questions on their ability to remain unbiased, their personal background, and opinions regarding sexual violence, physical violence, and alternative sexual lifestyles. Jurors were also provided a list of many notable figures and places, in an effort to gauge how a juror would react should the names appear in the trial. Among those names were Kid Cudi, Michael B. Jordan, and Mike Myers.
Thus far, the pool of 150 potential jurors for the Diddy trial has been narrowed down to 45. This number will become 12 on Friday, with six additional individuals tapped as alternates. At that point, the full jury selection process will be complete, and the public will have a better sense of the full makeup of the group.
Prosecution Thrown A Curveball
The other major development in the Diddy trial occurred on Wednesday, involving one of the key witnesses for the prosecution. The witness, known as “Victim 3″, was set to testify against Combs that she was both coerced and exploited into sexual acts by the defendant. However, the prosecution shared with the judge in the case, Judge Subramanian, that this witness may be lost and no longer accessible.
According to the New York Post, prosecutor Maurene Comey stated that, “We do not know whether she intends to appear, and we are trying very hard to find out because we are having trouble communicating with her counsel.” Comey explained to the judge that because the witness is not local, it may not be possible for her to show up. “[She] may not show up, even if we try to enforce the subpoena and want to call her.”
This would be a big loss for the prosecutors as they try to shore up the case against Diddy. However, three other witnesses remain ready to testify, and the hip hop mogul still has a steep hill to climb in the case. The prospective will have an update on the situation on Friday. As the juror selection is completed and the status update on the witness is provided, the story will be updated. The opening statements remain on track to begin Monday.
