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Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared at a Manhattan courthouse on Monday as jury selection began for his federal trial on sex trafficking charges. Hundreds of potential jurors showed up to be interviewed for the jury panel.
Judge Arun Subramanian started the session by telling everyone that the trial could last as long as eight weeks. The trial will officially begin on May 12, when the U.S. Attorney’s office and Diddy’s defense team will give their opening statements.
From over 150 potential jurors, the court will pick the final group of 12 jurors and six alternates over the next three days. For the first week, the trial will run from 9:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. Starting May 19, the schedule changes to 9 AM to 5 PM.
As the selection process began, jurors were brought in one at a time to review their answers to a detailed questionnaire. The court checked for any conflicts of interest and asked about their knowledge of the hip-hop industry.
Many jurors admitted they had seen the viral video showing Combs allegedly assaulting Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway. Others said they had read a lot about the case in the news. Some jurors said that despite this, they believed they could still be fair and impartial.
So far, one juror has been dismissed because a family member had experienced trauma, which could affect her judgment in this case. Other jurors are being asked if they or someone close to them has ever been a victim of sexual assault or other trauma.
If convicted of racketeering, Diddy could face life in prison. The sex trafficking charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years, and transportation for prostitution could add another 10 years.
Diddy denies all the charges and has rejected a plea deal from prosecutors. He says all the sexual encounters were consensual. He told the judge he understands that by rejecting the deal, he risks facing a longer, harsher sentence if found guilty.