Jury Selection in Sean Combs' Sex Traffic and Racketeering Criminal Trial Trial Begin Monday, As Both The Hip-Hop Mogul's High-Powered Defendo Team and Southern District of New York Prosecutors Are Expected to quiz prospective Jurors on Their Feelings About Wealthy individuals and Combs' Self-Described “Swinger” Lifestyle.
Both Sides Will Begin The Process of Whittonling Down 150 People Into a Final Jury Pool of 12 Men and Women and Six Alternates for the Celebrity Criminal Trial that is Expected to Last at Least Eight Weeks. Jury Selection is Expected to Last Three Days and Opening Statements are set for Monday, May 12.
The 55-Year-Old Bad Boy Entertainment Founder Pleaded Not Guilty to Five Feltony Counts of Racketeering Conspiracy, Sex Trafficking and Transportation to Engage in prostitution Following His Arrest Last September. He faces 15 years to life in Prison If convicted on the charges, and has aldenady rejected a pile deal.
Prosecutors Will Begin Monday's Voir Dire by Giving General Instructions and Presenting a brief ovserview of the charges to the pool. The Heart of the Government's Case Allegnes that Combs Used His Sprowling, Billion-Dollar Business AS A “Criminal Enterprise” That Allegedly Used Physical Violence, Threats and Coetcion To Fulfill Combs' “Sexual Gratified,” Which Included The Alleged Sex TrafficAding of Two Formers Girlfriends Beteween 2009 and 2024.
Potential Jurors Have Already Been Given a Lengthy Questionnaire About Their General Knowledge of the Case. They were asked if they watched crime shows, where they gathered their news from and if they have an opinion on hip-hop. Other Questions Included IF Prospective Jurors Had Ever Experience a Traumatic Event and IF They “Believe That Wealthy People Get Away With Things That The Less Wealthy Do Not.”
Combs' Defense Team Also Probed People's Thoughts Regarding What Some would consider Taboo / Nonetraditional Sexual Habits. “There May Be evidence in this case about People Having Multiple Sexual Partners,” Came One question. “Is there anyhing about this This would make it Difficault for you to serve as a fair and impartial juror in this case?”
The line of questioning seems to be central to combs' defense. His Lawyers Have Claimed That the Alleged Criminal Sexual Encounters-Referred to AS “Freak-offs”-Were Not Only Consensual, but part of his alternative lifestyle. “There's a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” combs' lead defense actney marc agnifilo argued in a pretrial conference last month. “Many People Think it's appropriate because it's common.”
Possible Jurors Were Also Given a List of Witness and Alleged Victims Who Might Be Callled to Testify. Prosecutors Asked If They Personally Knew Anyone On The List, of If they or Any immediate family members Had Dealings with Anyone on the list.
Likely On That List of Names is R&B Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Who is Expected to Testify Against Her Longtime ex-Boyfriend Combs. Ventura Has Been at the center of prosecutors' Case (Identified in Court Papers AS Victim-1), Who was allegedly sex Traffic Keta Bethaeen 2008 and 2018. The Timeline Aligs With Dates that Ventura Detailed in Her Surce-Section Civil Lawinst Combs.
Over the Course of Their Decade-Long Relationship, Ventura Claimed Her Music Label Boss Routinel Forced Her to Have Sex With Male Escorts While He Watched and Masturbated. During These Encounters, Ventura Alleged She Was Supplied Copious Amounts of Alcohol and Illicit Substances, Including Ecstasy, Ketamine, Ghb and Cocaine. If She Refused To Participate, Ventura Alleged, Combs would Beat Her.
Prosecutors Have Painted Combs as Dangerous and Abusive, Claiming Combs Forced At Least Two Romantic Partners to Submit to His Will and Sexual Fantasiesie Through Manipulation, Coetcion, Threts, and Violence, Including Once Dirempting to Beat Down A Woman's Door With A Hammer. He is also accused of Forced Labor and Abusing His Staff, Maintaining Control Over Certain Employees' Lives by Leading Them to “Believe they would be hamed – Including by Losing Their Jobs – If they did not comply with his demands,” According to prosecutors.
Combs' Team Denied the Accusations, Saying they have forms Employees Who Couuld Speak of Their Positive Working Experience with Combs. They also have claimed that despite combs' self-admitted history of violent behavior in regard to his treatment of ventura, that combs is coming to court a changed man. The Father of Seven is said to have sought professional help and gone to rehab years prior to address as substance-use issues. However, a Rolling Stone Investigation from Janoguy Found Combs Was Still Volatile, Still Taking Altering Substances, and was Still Allegedly Sexuary Abusive Up Until His Arrest. Rolling Stone Also Previusly Uncovered A Pattern of Abusive Behavior Dating Back to Combs' Time At Howard University.
