Jury in Sean "Diddy" Combs case to be seated Monday morning, followed by the start of trial
The jury in the Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial will be seated early Monday, with opening statements in the case to follow, a judge said Friday.
The jury had been expected to be seated Friday.
The delay happened as debate unfolded Friday over whether the defense can question one of Combs' accusers about her history with violence. Prosecutors argue it's irrelevant, while the defense claims the relationship involved mutual domestic violence, but not coercion or trafficking.
The judge said he'd rule on on the issue Monday.
Jury in Sean "Diddy" Combs' to be sworn in Monday
The jury is expected be sworn in Monday morning, and the trial will then get underway. One of the first witnesses is expected to be one of Combs' alleged victims, and she is expected to be on the stand all week. The identity of that witness has not yet been released.
Potential jurors were initially screened last week, with hundreds of candidates filling out questionnaires to help sort out how much they may have already heard about the case. They were asked if they were familiar with a list of some 190 celebrities, including Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West and Mike Myers, though it wasn't clear how those people are related to the trial, if at all. Potential jurors were also asked if they had been victims of sexual assault, or if videos of sexually explicit content and physical violence would make it impossible for them to be fair and impartial.
Schedule for Sean "Diddy" Combs trial
The first week of the trial is expected to go from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and then, in following weeks, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The trial is expected to last 8 to 10 weeks.
The four women expected to testify include three women who will remain anonymous, as well as Combs' ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. Jurors are expected to see surveillance video of Combs assaulting Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Combs faces five charges, including sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors claim he used his business empire to run a criminal enterprise. They allege Combs used threats and physical abuse to maintain silence about his behavior, and claim he once dangled someone from a balcony.
Combs has pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
