NEW YORK: A jury of 12 New Yorkers is due to be chosen on Friday in the racketeering and sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who could face decades or even life in prison if convicted.
The rapper has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for prostitution — all felonies.
Over three days this week, the judge overseeing the case questioned nearly 100 prospective jurors on subjects including what they had heard about Combs’ case and any experiences they had had with sexual assault.
With input from defense lawyers and prosecutors, US District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan dismissed the jurors he deemed unfit to serve and settled on 45 candidates qualified to serve fairly and impartially.
On Friday, lawyers for each side will take turns striking candidates until a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates is chosen — a chess match with potentially decisive implications in the outcome of the trial.
Combs, a Harlem native who founded the pioneering record label Bad Boy Records and discovered iconic rappers including the Notorious B.I.G., was arrested last September and has been held in a Brooklyn federal lockup since then.
The charges marked the stunning downfall of a titan of the music industry who once held a ceremonial key to the city of New York and was known for throwing lavish parties for A-list celebrities.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan US Attorney’s office say that for two decades Combs used his business empire to lure women into his orbit with promises of romantic relationships or financial support, then violently coerced them to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances known as “Freak Offs.”
In court papers, prosecutors allege Combs kept his victims obedient by drugging and blackmailing them. He is accused of kidnapping a person at gunpoint, dropping a Molotov cocktail into a car and hitting, choking and dragging victims in acts of violence dating back to the 1990s.
Combs’ lawyers have said prosecutors are improperly seeking to criminalize Combs’ “swinger lifestyle.” They have signaled they plan to attack the credibility of the alleged victims who will testify by seeking to show they had financial incentives to accuse Combs. They have said the women gave inconsistent accounts of the alleged assaults to investigators.
Subramanian has said the trial will last around eight weeks, with the alternate jurors serving as backups in case jurors are unable to finish. Any verdict must be unanimous.
The trial is expected to feature testimony from three, or possibly four, accusers including Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known professionally as Cassie.
Combs faces more than 50 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, including one by a plaintiff who says he was 10 years old at the time of the alleged attack.
Combs has denied wrongdoing in those cases and claimed his accusers are seeking a payday.
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs jury to be seated in hip-hop mogul’s sex trafficking trial
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs jury to be seated in hip-hop mogul’s sex trafficking trial
- Combs pleads not guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking
- Twelve jurors and six alternates to be chosen
Tanzania police ban proposed rallies after poll violence
DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s police have banned proposed rallies next week, following a violent crackdown by security forces on election demonstrations.
Polls on October 29 erupted into days of violent protests over claims that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had rigged the polls and was behind a campaign of murders and abductions of her critics.
She was declared winner with 98 percent of the vote.
More than 1,000 people were shot dead by security forces over several days of unrest, according to the opposition and rights groups, though the government has yet to give a final toll.
Despite attempts to suppress information, anger within the east African nation has grown with some saying they will return to the streets on December 9.
In a statement in Swahili late Friday, police spokesperson David Misime said officials had seen the calls on social media but noted: “No identifiable person has so far submitted formal notification for the planned demonstrations.”
Citing police guidelines, the statement said that “given the unlawful tactics that have surfaced,” the proposed rally “no longer meets the legal requirements to be authorized.”
“Therefore, the Police Force, as of today, bans the planned demonstrations described as peaceful and indefinite,” it said.
The statement added calls for the proposed rally were being coordinated by individuals using “telephone numbers based both inside and outside Tanzania, as well as anonymous online accounts managed by persons outside the country.”
It follows a decision by Meta earlier this week to suspend the Instagram accounts of two Tanzanian activists after they posted images of the violent crackdown on election protests.
International criticism has grown, with the United States stating it would be “comprehensively reviewing” its relationship with the country following the election violence.
Polls on October 29 erupted into days of violent protests over claims that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had rigged the polls and was behind a campaign of murders and abductions of her critics.
She was declared winner with 98 percent of the vote.
More than 1,000 people were shot dead by security forces over several days of unrest, according to the opposition and rights groups, though the government has yet to give a final toll.
Despite attempts to suppress information, anger within the east African nation has grown with some saying they will return to the streets on December 9.
In a statement in Swahili late Friday, police spokesperson David Misime said officials had seen the calls on social media but noted: “No identifiable person has so far submitted formal notification for the planned demonstrations.”
Citing police guidelines, the statement said that “given the unlawful tactics that have surfaced,” the proposed rally “no longer meets the legal requirements to be authorized.”
“Therefore, the Police Force, as of today, bans the planned demonstrations described as peaceful and indefinite,” it said.
The statement added calls for the proposed rally were being coordinated by individuals using “telephone numbers based both inside and outside Tanzania, as well as anonymous online accounts managed by persons outside the country.”
It follows a decision by Meta earlier this week to suspend the Instagram accounts of two Tanzanian activists after they posted images of the violent crackdown on election protests.
International criticism has grown, with the United States stating it would be “comprehensively reviewing” its relationship with the country following the election violence.
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