The American music industry tycoon Sean “Diddy” Combs, 55, said he is feeling “a little nervous” on Monday (5) during the first day of his trial.
This week, the case judge is questioning the potential jurors one by one, a lawsuit known as Voir Dire, in an attempt to form a panel of 12 judges and six alternates who may be fair and impartial with both sides, despite the strong media coverage of the case so far.
After the parties questioned several potential judges, the Comb lawyer asked to go to the bathroom. The judge, who seemed inclined to proceed with the questions, agreed later that Combs said to the judge, “I’m a little nervous today.”
The selection of the jury for the trial will begin on May 5, with the initial statements scheduled for May 12. The trial should last several weeks.
Combs declared innocent of the accusations of conspiracy for extortion , Prostitution transportation and sexual traffic . If convicted at all charges, he may face life imprisonment.
The controversial music tycoon is in custody at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) since his arrest in September 2024.
Possible jurors accompanied the case in the media
Possible jurors said they heard news about the charges against the hip-hop tycoon, they saw a video of him allegedly assaulting a woman and even heard a comedian joke about the baby oil that authorities say they found at their residence.
But the simple fact that they had accompanied the previous media coverage of the case was not enough to be dismissed from potentially to serve on the jury.
With Combs wearing sunglasses and a gray goose -go, a jury said he saw a video on the news that showed allegedly assaulting someone in a hotel. Subramanian decided that the juror, known as jury No. 5, was qualified for the panel after guaranteeing the judge that it would be a “blank page when entering this court.”
A possible juror was fired after writing in a screening questionnaire last week that a static image he saw below a woman’s newspaper headline on the floor of a hotel corridor and standing Combs near her “could be blunt evidence.”
The jury will be anonymous, which is often in high profile judgments, in which jurors may face threats or harassment if their identities are revealed. The purpose of the Subrmanian judge in Voir Dire is to choose 45 qualified potential jurors to act, and lawyers from both parties will then have the opportunity to dispense the jurors without justification.
*With information from CNN International and Reuters
See also: Video catches Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting woman
Sean Combs, P. Diddy: Understand the case involving the rapper
This content was originally published in Sean “Diddy” Combs says he is “a little nervous” with the beginning of the trial on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
