Music sensation Sean Combs is surrounded by controversy as he is in the middle of a high-stakes court fight. On Monday, Combs will stand before a New York courtroom where lawyers will start the daunting process of picking a jury that will decide his future in a federal case gaining national attention. Once revered for his trailblazing work in the music business, Combs who is also known to fans worldwide as Diddy is now facing a number of federal charges that have significantly shifted public perception of him. As the proceedings get underway, the courtroom will turn its attention to one of the most delicate aspects of a trial: jury selection.
Fame Complicates Fairness
The greatest challenge is identifying jurors who can judge the man before them not the image they’ve read about in headlines or seen on stage. Legal analysts say it’s no easy feat to choose a fair and impartial jury in a case against such a high-profile celebrity and acknowledging this fact a senior legal analyst at CNN said, “This is one of those rare situations where you can reasonably assume every potential juror already knows who the defendant is.”
The objective during jury selection will be to find people who can put aside any preconceived ideas about Combs and judge him solely on the evidence brought out during the trial. Lawyers on both sides will interview prospective jurors extensively to determine if they can remain impartial and render a fair verdict.
Past Charges
Diddy was facing three serious federal charges which were racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking and transporting individuals for illegal purposes. According to the prosecutors, the new allegations basically details how combs and his associates allegedly lured women into exploitative situations under the situations. Prosecutors claim that some of these incidents took place over several years and across multiple state.
