NEW YORK — Legal professionals for Sean “Diddy” Combs are urging a pass judgement on to let potential jurors on the hip-hop magnate’s upcoming intercourse trafficking trial be wondered about their perspectives relating to intercourse, medicine and violence.
The legal professionals raised the topic as they submitted a proposed questionnaire to be stuffed out via people summoned for his Would possibly 5 trial in New york federal courtroom.
In a letter to a pass judgement on past due Friday, the legal professionals mentioned they wish to know the willingness of would-be jurors to look at movies which might be sexually particular or display bodily attack. In addition they say they wish to know their perspectives towards other people with a couple of sexual companions.
Prosecutors in a letter of their very own criticized the protection’s proposed questionnaire as too lengthy and relating topics that will be higher requested in individual via the pass judgement on, if in any respect.
They mentioned one of the protection’s proposed 72 questions, some containing subparts, have been “completely beside the point to the power to serve on a jury.”
Prosecutors additionally cited the intercourse trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell for example of ways a long questionnaire may also be harmful.
After Maxwell used to be convicted of intercourse trafficking in December 2021, a juror admitted that he had didn’t divulge that he used to be a intercourse abuse sufferer, blaming his oversight partially on being “distracted as he stuffed out the questionnaire” and having “skimmed means too speedy,” inflicting him to misconceive questions.
Pass judgement on Arun Subramanian has informed legal professionals that questionnaires will likely be dispensed to masses of potential jurors on the finish of April in order that wondering of potential jurors can start on Would possibly 5, with opening statements most probably on Would possibly 12.
Combs, 55, has pleaded no longer responsible to allegations that he subjected people to sexual abuse over a two-decade length. The Unhealthy Boy Information founder has remained incarcerated with out bail since his September arrest.
An indictment accuses Combs of the use of the “energy and status” he wielded as a track magnate to intimidate, threaten and trap ladies into his orbit, steadily underneath the pretense of a romantic courting.
The indictment mentioned he then used drive, threats and coercion to purpose sufferers, together with 3 ladies specified within the courtroom papers, to have interaction in industrial intercourse acts.
It mentioned he subjected his sufferers to violence, threats of violence, threats of monetary and reputational hurt and verbal abuse.
Prosecutors have mentioned {that a} key piece of the proof at trial will likely be a video appearing Combs punching his former protege and female friend, the R&B singer Cassie, and throwing her at the ground in a resort hallway.
Protection legal professionals have argued that prosecutors constructed their case on fees that attempt to demonize intercourse acts between consenting adults.
They informed the pass judgement on they have been not able to succeed in a consensus with prosecutors for what potential jurors will have to be requested on questionnaires.
“The protection believes it’s important that we permit doable jurors to write down candidly concerning the unheard of and damaging media consideration that they will were uncovered to, associated with Mr. Combs,” the legal professionals wrote.
Protection legal professionals additionally requested that jurors be requested to inform if they have got watched presentations on tv titled: “The Fall of Diddy,” “Diddy Do It?” “The Downfall of Diddy” and “Diddy: The Making of a Unhealthy Boy.”
