What is Sean 'Diddy' Combs charged with and how are jurors picked?

The proceedings of US rapper and euphony mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has begun successful New York with assemblage selection.

If jurors are chosen this week, lawyers connected some sides are expected to present their opening statements connected Monday 12 May.

The charges against Mr Combs see racketeering conspiracy, enactment trafficking, and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution. If convicted, helium could look beingness successful prison.

The rapper besides faces dozens of civilian lawsuits from individuals who impeach him of utilizing his powerfulness to drug, assault, rape, intimidate and soundlessness people.

Mr Combs has pleaded not blameworthy to the transgression charges and rejected the idiosyncratic lawsuits arsenic attempts "for a speedy payday".

Proceedings got nether mode connected Monday 5 May successful beforehand of US District Judge Arun Subramanian, astatine the Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse successful little Manhattan.

Choosing a sheet of 12 jurors and six alternates is expected to instrumentality a week.

The justice told jurors the proceedings itself could past astir 8 weeks.

The tribunal is expected to beryllium unfastened to the public, but proceedings won't beryllium televised oregon streamed online.

Cameras, phones and physics devices are usually not allowed successful US national courtrooms.

Attorneys began picking done dozens of imaginable jurors connected Monday.

Judge Subramanian reminded the tribunal respective times of the value of choosing a just and impartial jury.

Nearly each the imaginable jurors had work quality reports of the allegations successful the lawsuit and galore had seen footage of Mr Combs kicking his erstwhile woman Cassie Ventura successful a edifice hallway.

Several women successful the enactment excavation said they had been victims of intersexual maltreatment oregon battle oregon knew idiosyncratic adjacent who had.

But much than a twelve said they could spell into the lawsuit with an unfastened caput and pledged not to signifier an sentiment until they heard each the evidence.

At the extremity of the archetypal day, 19 jurors moved to the adjacent signifier of questioning. They scope successful property from 30 to 75, and are from Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester, and see fiscal analysts, teachers, scientists and cashiers.

In the national transgression lawsuit being heard successful New York, Mr Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, 2 charges of enactment trafficking and 2 charges of proscription to prosecute successful prostitution.

Many of the astir terrible allegations subordinate to the racketeering conspiracy charge.

This includes accusations of kidnapping, drugging, and coercing women into intersexual activities, sometimes utilizing firearms oregon threats of violence.

In a raid connected his Los Angeles mansion, constabulary recovered supplies that they said were intended for usage successful orgies known arsenic “freak offs”, including drugs and much than 1,000 bottles of babe oil.

Separately, Mr Combs faces a fig of lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault.

Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling immoderate of these cases, said that much than 100 women and men from crossed the US had either filed lawsuits against the rap mogul oregon intended to bash so.

In December 2023, a pistillate known successful tribunal papers arsenic Jane Doe alleged that she was "gang raped" by Mr Combs and others successful 2003, erstwhile she was 17. She said she was fixed "copious amounts of drugs and alcohol" earlier the attack.

Mr Combs' ineligible squad dismissed the flurry of lawsuits arsenic "clear attempts to garner publicity."

Mr Combs' existent ineligible issues began successful precocious 2023 erstwhile helium was sued by Ms Ventura, besides known arsenic Cassie, for convulsive maltreatment and rape.

That suit was settled for an undisclosed magnitude a time aft it was filed, with Mr Combs maintaining his innocence.

Since then, dozens of different radical person filed lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of intersexual assault, with accusations dating backmost to 1991. He denies each the claims.

His arguable past with Ms Ventura resurfaced successful 2024, erstwhile CNN leaked CCTV footage from 2016 showing Mr Combs kicking his ex-girlfriend arsenic she laic connected a edifice hallway floor.

He apologised for his behaviour, saying: "I instrumentality afloat work for my actions successful that video. I was disgusted past erstwhile I did it. I'm disgusted now."

In a connection to the BBC astir the national transgression charges, Mr Combs' lawyer said: "Mr Combs and his ineligible squad person afloat assurance successful the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.

"In court, the information volition prevail: that Mr Combs ne'er sexually assaulted oregon trafficked anyone - antheral oregon woman, big oregon minor."

Diddy's lawyers aboriginal filed a question to disregard 1 portion of the national indictment successful which helium is accused of proscription to prosecute successful prostitution. His squad argued helium was being unfairly targeted owed to his race.

In a proceeding successful New York a week earlier the proceedings officially began, his attorneys told the tribunal that the rapper led the "lifestyle" of a "swinger" and was not a criminal.

They said helium thought it was "appropriate" to person aggregate enactment partners, including enactment workers.

At the aforesaid hearing, prosecutors revealed that Mr Combs had rejected a plea deal.

Mr Combs' lawyers person consistently denied the allegations made against him successful the civilian lawsuits, describing them arsenic "sickening" and suggesting they were made by "individuals looking for a speedy payday".

If convicted connected the racketeering charge, Mr Combs faces up to beingness successful prison.

He faces different statutory minimum condemnation of 15 years if helium is recovered blameworthy of enactment trafficking.

Transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum condemnation of 10 years.

Mr Combs has been held astatine the Metropolitan Detention Center successful Brooklyn, New York, since his apprehension connected 16 September 2024.

Critics picture the situation arsenic overcrowded and understaffed, with a civilization of violence.

His lawyers argued for his release, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions, but a New York national justice denied the bail request, describing Mr Combs arsenic a “serious formation risk”.

Prosecutors antecedently alleged that Mr Combs had breached situation rules by contacting imaginable witnesses.

They accused him of "relentless efforts" to "corruptly power witnesser testimony".

A justice granted Mr Combs support to deterioration non-prison covering during his proceedings alternatively than the jumpsuits helium wears successful jail.

When helium appeared successful tribunal for assemblage selection, the rapper wore a bluish sweater and achromatic garment with glasses connected his head.

Mr Combs - who has besides gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love - emerged successful the hip-hop country successful the 1990s.

His aboriginal euphony vocation occurrence included helping motorboat the careers of Mary J Blige and Christopher Wallace - aka Biggie Smalls, oregon The Notorious B.I.G.

His euphony statement Bad Boy Records became 1 of the astir important labels successful rap and expanded to see Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.

Mr Combs besides had a prolific concern vocation extracurricular of music, including a woody with British drinks institution Diageo to beforehand the French vodka marque Cîroc.

In 2023, helium released his 5th grounds The Love Album: Off The Grid and earned his archetypal solo information astatine the Grammy awards. He besides was named a Global Icon astatine the MTV Awards.

• Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Who is the US rapper accused of enactment trafficking?