Things to know about the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs

NEW YORK – The enactment trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, 1 of the biggest euphony moguls and taste figures of the past 4 decades, began Monday successful New York with assemblage selection. Twelve jurors, on with six alternates, volition beryllium chosen, with opening statements expected to statesman May 12. The proceedings is expected to past astatine slightest 8 weeks. Here's a look astatine immoderate of the details.

The charges against Diddy

Combs is charged with 1 number of racketeering conspiracy, 2 counts of enactment trafficking by force, fraud oregon coercion, and 2 counts of proscription to prosecute successful prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.

The alleged offenses span from astir 2004 until astir 2024. Two of the counts were added a period earlier trial.

The indictment against him says helium coerced and abused women for years with assistance from a web of associates and employees portion silencing victims done blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and carnal beatings.

Prosecutors allege helium utilized his “power and prestige” arsenic a euphony prima to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced intersexual performances with antheral enactment workers successful events dubbed “freak offs.”

Prosecutors revealed soon earlier proceedings that Combs rejected a plea statement that mightiness person meant a lighter condemnation than a condemnation could. They did not disclose the presumption of the projected deal.

The witnesses and the grounds against Diddy

Without identifying them publicly, prosecutors person said 4 of Combs' accusers volition attest astatine the trial.

The prosecution volition beryllium allowed to amusement the assemblage information video of Combs beating and kicking 1 of his accusers, the R&B vocalist Cassie, successful a Los Angeles edifice hallway successful 2016.

Diddy's attorneys are expected to reason astatine proceedings that the authorities is demonizing and distorting the intersexual enactment of consenting adults. They person besides argued that 2 of Combs' longtime girlfriends willingly brought a antheral enactment idiosyncratic into their relationship.

Cassie, whose ineligible sanction is Cassandra Ventura, was Combs' on-again-off-again romanticist spouse for much than a decade. Her 2023 suit against Combs alleging years of abuse, including rape, began the scrutiny that yet led to his prosecution.

The Associated Press does not typically sanction radical who accidental they person been sexually abused unless they travel guardant publicly, arsenic Ventura did.

The trial's main players

The proceedings is successful the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. He's a Columbia Law School postgraduate and erstwhile clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who was appointed a national justice by President Joe Biden successful 2022.

The prosecution squad consists of 8 adjunct U.S. attorneys, 7 of them women. They see Maurene Ryan Comey, girl of erstwhile FBI Director James Comey. She was among the prosecutors successful the proceedings of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to beryllium sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

Combs' squad of 7 defence attorneys is led by New York lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who on with his woman Karen Friedman Agnifilo, is besides defending Luigi Mangione, the antheral accused of the execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Also connected the defence squad is Atlanta lawyer Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug successful a proceedings that went connected for astir 2 years earlier the rapper pleaded blameworthy to gang, cause and weapon charges.

Diddy's tribunal appearance

Combs, 55, has been held astatine a national jailhouse successful Brooklyn since his September arrest. His formerly pitchy achromatic hairsbreadth is present astir wholly grey due to the fact that dye isn’t allowed astatine detention center.

Combs, who had his ain manner line, has worn yellowish jailhouse uniforms successful pretrial hearings.

But for the trial, the justice said helium tin person up to 5 button-down shirts, 5 pairs of pants, 5 sweaters, 5 pairs of socks and 2 pairs of shoes without laces.

Under national tribunal rules, nary photos oregon video of the proceedings volition beryllium allowed. Courtroom sketches are permitted.

What we won't perceive astatine the trial

Since 2023, dozens of pistillate and men person been filing lawsuits against Combs claiming that helium sexually oregon physically abused them. Many of those radical said they were slipped drugs astatine events hosted by Combs and were abused portion they were incapacitated.

Combs has denied each of the allegations done his lawyers.

Some of those lawsuits person claimed that different celebrities were either contiguous for oregon participated successful the abuse.

The large bulk of those allegations, however, aren't portion of the transgression case. Prosecutors person chosen to absorption connected a comparatively tiny fig of accusers and allegations wherever determination is carnal grounds oregon corroboration by witnesses.

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