Diddy’s legal team and federal prosecutors are once again at odds—this time over how jurors should be screened in the Hip-Hop mogul’s blockbuster sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
According to a joint filing submitted to Judge Arun Subramanian on April 11, both sides were ordered to hammer out a proposed jury questionnaire—but instead ended up in a full-blown deadlock over what questions should be asked.
And while Diddy’s lawyers didn’t object to most of the government’s wording, they argue the entire document misses one glaring issue: media bias.
“The government’s proposal does not explore at all the prejudices and biases that are central to an effective inquiry to seating a fair jury,” his lawyers complained. “The defense believes it is important that we allow potential jurors to write candidly about the unprecedented and negative media attention that they may have been exposed to, related to Mr. Combs.”
Diddy—who is facing serious federal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting women for prostitution—has become a household name for all the wrong reasons.
Prosecutors say his trial will include explicit videos of assaults, evidence of drug-fueled sex parties, and testimony from former associates who claim they were part of a cross-country trafficking ring.
His attorneys say that’s precisely why jurors should be screened before walking into a courtroom—not while being stared down by a room full of strangers.
As part of their proposed changes, Diddy’s team wants to vet potential jurors on a number of topics—including their personal experiences with domestic violence, substance abuse, and sexual content, as well as their comfort level viewing graphic videos.
“Many individuals are uncomfortable speaking about these issues in front of others and would be more candid writing about them in a questionnaire,” the filing noted.
To bolster their argument, they pointed to the 2018 trial of NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere, where a judge allowed nearly identical questions to screen for bias due to the case’s “sensitive and private” nature.
Despite their differences, both sides did agree on a proposed daily trial schedule. But the real fireworks will come if Judge Subramanian sides with prosecutors—potentially leaving Diddy to pick a jury in a courtroom already buzzing with media attention and public opinion.