Sean “Diddy” Combs is now officially on the clock.
A federal judge in New York has set key dates for his racketeering and sex trafficking trial, marking a significant step toward what could be one of the most high-profile legal battles in recent memory.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian issued an order finalizing the timeline, with jury selection beginning on April 28, 2025, and opening statements scheduled for May 12, 2025.
The ruling ensures that Diddy, who remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, will stand trial after months of legal maneuvering and unsuccessful attempts to secure release.
Court Proceedings Leading Up to Trial
The legal process kicks off with a pretrial conference on April 25, 2025, where attorneys will finalize procedural matters.
Potential jurors will fill out questionnaires between April 28 and April 30, with both sides expected to submit their proposed jury lists by May 1. If disputes arise, the judge has scheduled a hearing on May 2 to resolve them.
Voir dire—where attorneys will question jurors under sequestration with public access—will begin on May 5, followed by peremptory strikes on May 9 to narrow the jury pool, where as many as 600 people are expected to be called.
With a jury in place, the long-awaited trial will formally begin on May 12.
The Charges Against Diddy
Diddy faces federal charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, stemming from an extensive government investigation.
Prosecutors allege that he ran a criminal enterprise that engaged in coercion, drug distribution, and organized sexual abuse.
Investigators claim that his network operated over multiple decades, using private jets, luxury hotels, and secretive parties to facilitate trafficking.
One of the key pieces of evidence in the government’s case is a 2016 surveillance video that allegedly shows Diddy violently assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles.
The footage, first surfaced by CNN in 2024, reportedly aligns with Ventura’s civil lawsuit allegations against Diddy, which he previously denied before settling.
What’s Next?
With the trial date now set, both sides will begin preparing for trial. If convicted, Diddy faces decades in prison, with the RICO and sex trafficking charges carrying severe mandatory minimum sentences.
Until then, the hip-hop mogul remains behind bars as federal prosecutors continue pushing their case, building what they call one of the most extensive trafficking and racketeering cases in recent history.