Jury selection began Monday in the highly anticipated sex trafficking trial against hip-hop music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
As of Monday afternoon, 15 potential jurors — five men and 10 women — had been vetted. Four of them were ultimately excused.
The Manhattan trial is taking place nearly 8 months after Combs' arrest. Both sides are seeking 12 jurors who can remain fair and impartial despite the significant media attention the case has garnered. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but if convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
The five count indictment overlaps with some of the dozens of accusations and lawsuits alleging Combs raped, abused, drugged and violently assaulted both men and women, as well as children as young as 10 years old, over the course of decades. Those civil lawsuits have not yet been litigated.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Diddy sues man who claimed to have incriminating sex tapes and media outlet who interviewed him
The Combs indictment was unsealed September 17th of last year on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. It’s being heard in a federal court rather than a state court at least in part because some of the allegations take place across state lines.
The original 14-page indictment paints a dramatic picture of Combs "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking" women. Prosecutors allege he also drugged women, kept explicit videos of them, and threatened them.
The government claims Combs even monitored victims' medical records, controlled what they wore and where they lived. They allege his "abuse was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual," including manipulating women to participate in highly orchestrated sex performances with male sex workers.
RELATED STORY | Diddy's mother says he is 'not the monster they have painted him to be' in first public statement
Prosecutors have amended the case multiple times, first in January without adding new charges but included new details alleging he transported two more female victims across state and international lines and that he dangled someone over an apartment balcony.
Then on March 6th, prosecutors filed a second superseding indictment without new charges to include allegations of forced labor. Prosecutors say Combs forced his employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who didn't help him.
Finally, prosecutors added charges in early April, alleging more sex trafficking and transportation across state lines to engage in prostitution.
At an April pre-trial hearing, Combs’ lead attorney Marc Agnifilo suggested he may argue Combs was engaged in a “swinger” sexual situation with the women. Agnifilo suggested the “common” sexual behavior was consensual.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in Manhattan
Judge Arun Subramanian said last week that counsel would be working privately in some capacity with potential jurors because of the highly personal nature of this case. Potential jurors will be questioned both privately about whether they have a specific connection to sexual abuse and publicly, as selection typically goes.
