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(NewsNation) —The national transgression proceedings against Sean “Diddy” Combs begins Monday, culminating 8 months aft the euphony mogul was indicted connected several felony charges relating to intersexual abuse.
The highly anticipated proceedings volition statesman with assemblage selection, wherever some national prosecutors and Combs’ defence attorneys volition take 12 jurors and 6 alternates to beryllium for the lawsuit against him.
Opening statements are expected for May 12.
What is Diddy charged with?
Combs faces national charges of racketeering conspiracy, enactment trafficking by force, fraud oregon coercion and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution.
The euphony shaper has been held without bail since his September 2024 arrest, which came aft 2 of his homes were raided by national investigators 7 months prior.
He is accused of sexually abusing and exploiting women, utilizing his presumption and concern empire to compel them to instrumentality portion successful intersexual events, which were dubbed “Freak-offs.”
Prosecutors allege Combs utilized the resources of his euphony empire to make “a transgression endeavor whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to prosecute in, among different crimes, enactment trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Naomi Campbell and Diddy are seen celebrating Diddy's Birthday astatine The BoTree connected November 09, 2023 successful London, England. (Photo by Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer/GC Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: SEPTEMBER 15: Sean "Diddy" Combs (L) is seen receiving the Key to the City from Mayor Eric Adams successful Times Square connected September September 15, 2023 successful New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images )
Defense lawyer and erstwhile authoritative Mark Eiglarsh joins NewsNation to sermon the latest developments successful the national enactment trafficking lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs. Cassie Ventura, a longtime subordinate and erstwhile woman of Combs, antecedently filed the civilian suit that triggered the transgression investigation. She was besides seen successful leaked surveillance footage being physically assaulted by Combs, which helium aboriginal apologized for. Prosecutors person present added 2 much charges: enactment trafficking and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution, bringing the full to five. In response, Combs’ ineligible squad issued a connection calling the allegations aged and characterizing the relationships arsenic consensual and private.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: View of instrumentality enforcement agents and vehicles extracurricular Diddy's Beverly Hills property are seen connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee holds a quality league astatine his bureau announcing that he's representing 120 accusers who person travel guardant with intersexual misconduct allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul who is awaiting proceedings connected enactment trafficking charges, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, successful Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
In this courtroom sketch, Assistant United States Attorney Christy Slavic, lasting center, speaks during a proceeding for Sean "Diddy" Combs, left, arsenic Judge Arun Subramanian, right, presides successful national Court, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, successful New York. Attorney Tony Riccio is shown lasting inheritance center. (Jane Rosenberg via AP)
Federal enforcement officers basal extracurricular the Metropolitan Detention Center, wherever Sean “Diddy” Combs is incarcerated, during an interagency operation, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, successful the Brooklyn Borough of New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
In this courtroom sketch, Sean "Diddy" Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo, left, addresses the justice portion Combs, seated 2nd from right, successful situation uniform, watches during a proceeding successful national tribunal successful New York, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Combs' caller defence attorney, Anthony Ricco is seated acold right. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson, left, presents her statement for remand during a bail proceeding for Sean "Diddy" Combs, 2nd from right, successful national court, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, successful New York. Combs was accompanied by his attorneys Marc Agnifilo, 2nd from left, and Teny Garagos. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
In this courtroom sketch, Sean Combs, seated right, looks astatine his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, left, arsenic helium delivers his bail statement arsenic Combs' household successful the gallery, background, rise their hands indicating to Judge Tarnofsky that they are successful attendance, to bolster the defence attorney's bail argument, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, successful Manhattan Federal Court successful New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Combs has denied each the allegations. His ineligible squad did not instrumentality a petition for remark by NewsNation up of the trial.
If convicted, however agelong could Diddy beryllium successful prison?
Combs rejected an eleventh-hour plea woody with prosecutors past week, which paved the mode for the proceedings expected to past 8 weeks.
If convicted, Combs could look a maximum condemnation of beingness successful prison.
Who is testifying astatine Diddy's trial?
Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who dated Combs, volition beryllium testifying successful his proceedings utilizing her ain sanction alternatively of staying anonymous.
Ventura was the archetypal to record a civilian suit against Combs successful 2023, which prompted dozens much to travel forward.
Three unnamed victims volition besides beryllium testifying.
What is the grounds against Diddy?
Prosecutors volition apt contiguous a trove of grounds that was acquired from Combs’ homes successful Miami and Los Angeles during raids past year, including guns, electronics and ample amounts of lubricant related to alleged convulsive enactment events.
Combs’ pretrial motions and arguments person offered hints arsenic to what his defence whitethorn look like.
His defence squad has argued that immoderate intersexual acts were consensual, which does not magnitude to immoderate crime. They volition besides apt question the credibility of the victims.
Tamara Holder, women's rights and intersexual maltreatment attorney, spoke to NewsNation connected Friday astir the anticipation of the Combs' defence squad utilizing the contented of consent arsenic 1 of their main arguments.
"His (Combs) defence is going to beryllium that helium had a manner that progressive consensual intersexual behavior. Diddy believes he's going to person the assemblage that these were consenting adults," Holder speculated. "His defence is going to onslaught women and consenting participants of 'freak offs' and astir apt spell into their backgrounds. The extremity is to onslaught the credibility of the (alleged) victims due to the fact that he's admitted to the conduct, conscionable not that it was not consensual."
How Diddy's transgression proceedings could impact civilian cases against him
Lisa Bloom, a victims' rights lawyer representing 2 Sean Combs accusers, Dawn Richard and John Doe, told NewsNation that the transgression and civilian cases against Combs are similar, truthful she’ll beryllium watching the proceedings intimately erstwhile it begins adjacent week.
“So, if the transgression lawsuit results successful a conviction, that volition beryllium important for us, though of people we volition inactive beryllium required to beryllium our cases astatine trial. One of the reasons I volition beryllium attending the proceedings successful idiosyncratic is to larn what grounds and witnesses volition beryllium presented, arsenic overmuch of it whitethorn beryllium applicable to my cases,” Bloom said.
Combs faces federal enactment trafficking and racketeering charges spanning implicit 2 decades. Jury enactment for Combs’ proceedings begins Monday, May 5.
NewsNation did not person a remark from Douglas Wigdor, lawyer for Cassie Ventura, astatine the clip of publication.
Formerly known arsenic “Puff Daddy,” Combs was erstwhile considered 1 of the astir influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past 3 decades. The laminitis of Bad Boy Records has worked with artists specified arsenic Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112, and besides created a manner covering enactment and a music-focused TV channel.
