Sean Combs Sex Trafficking Trial: Jury Selection Begins

Jury Selection Underway

• 🎯 Jury selection has commenced for the high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
• ⚖️ Prosecutors allege Combs and associates used his power and influence to coerce women into sex acts since 2008.
• 🧑‍⚖️ The judge questioned prospective jurors about their knowledge of the case and potential celebrity mentions.

Courtroom Proceedings

• 👔 Sean Combs, dressed in a white collared shirt and navy sweater, was granted permission to wear civilian clothes throughout the 8-week trial.
• 📋 A pool of 60 potential jurors were informed that only extraordinary hardship would excuse them from service.
• 📝 Jurors answered follow-up questions based on a 17-page questionnaire, including whether they had prior knowledge of Mr. Combs or the charges.

Potential Evidence and Defense Strategy

• 📱 Some prospective jurors acknowledged seeing the 2016 video of Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, with one calling it potentially damning.
• 🗣️ The defense plans to use a forensic video analyst for technical analysis, but not to discuss the real-world impact of the video.
• 💊 A medical expert for the defense will testify about drugs prescribed to Combs in general, but not their specific effects on him or whether he took them.