New York (AFP) – Opening statements are expected Monday in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul accused of committing years of chilling abuse. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty on all counts, which include a racketeering charge alleging the hip-hop pioneer was the leader of a sex crime ring that included drug-fueled sex parties by use of force, threats, and violence.
The panel of 12 jurors and six alternates responsible for determining Combs’s fate are set to be finalized first thing Monday, a process pushed back after Judge Arun Subramanian voiced concern candidates might get “cold feet” over the weekend. Last week, potential jurors were vetted, including on their ability to fairly hear evidence from hip-hop artists, sex workers, and people involved in the use and distribution of drugs. The selected jurors will remain anonymous, but not sequestered — meaning they must individually ensure they stay away from media coverage and social media commentary about the high-profile case.
Combs, who was for decades one of music’s powerhouse figures, now appears aged, his once jet-black hair now gray. He is allowed to wear civilian clothing for the trial. If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Prosecutors allege he held sex parties — also known as “freak-offs” — that were coercive and criminal. But his defense lawyers say the events were in fact entirely consensual and simply part of Combs’s “swinger” lifestyle.
Core to the case against Combs is his relationship with his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who is expected to be a key trial witness. A disturbing surveillance video from 2016 shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel. It is unclear how much of the CNN video will be shown to jurors as evidence — the footage’s quality has been a sticking point between the opposing legal teams — but Subramanian has ruled that at least some of it will be admissible. However, it has been widely broadcast both in media reports and across social media channels.
Some potential jurors told the court they had seen that video. One prospective panelist — who was dismissed — described the video as “damning.” Another was sent home after saying that his wife, a former attorney, had told him about taking depositions related to a deadly crowd crush at an event organized by Combs in 1991. “She found his behavior disturbing; she does not like him,” said the man. But others said they believed they could still assess the evidence fairly despite already having seen the video. The proceedings are expected to last eight to 10 weeks.
© 2024 AFP
