Diddy Trial Jury Seated, 12 Jurors, 6 Alternates Prepared for Opening Statements

The complete jury pool for the federal felony trial in NYC of Sean “Diddy” Combs has formally been chosen … there are 12 jurors and 6 alternates and opening statements are set for Monday morning.

That pool has been whittled down from greater than 45 candidates … and now we have the ultimate checklist, authorized by Choose Arun Subramanian.

This morning as court docket proceedings started, the prosecution and protection groups started calling out their selections of people to strike. Diddy’s protection legal professional Marc Agnifilo famous prosecutors struck 7 Black folks, noting a “pattern.” AUSA Maurene Comey identified the prosecution’s causes, together with people’ points with regulation enforcement, information of the case, restricted English — even one accused of getting an “agenda.” The choose denied the protection’s problem, figuring out the exclusions weren’t primarily based on racial discrimination.

Subramanian sought to have the complete jury seated by the top of final week, however after 2 jurors dropped out on the final minute, the choice continued into Monday morning — with peremptory challenges to the prospects — to make sure a sturdy pool of people that would not withdraw and delay the proceedings.

Final week noticed potential jurors tossed left and proper, for numerous causes, together with what gave the impression to be hasty vetting — a number of candidates had ties to the case, the state, even principals themselves — the place others have been excluded attributable to different elements.

Potential jurors in Diddy‘s federal intercourse trafficking trial have been grilled on matters like intercourse and violence earlier than they have been picked … as a result of they’re being warned the case will embrace graphic content material and a few upsetting issues they’re anticipated to deal with like grown-ups.

The jury for the trial, which the choose expects to final about 8 weeks, won’t be sequestered — they’re going to be allowed to go house each night time, although they have been instructed to not examine or talk about the trial outdoors the courtroom, and to keep away from the web.