(NewsNation) —A third day of jury selection in the federal criminal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs will continue Wednesday as lawyers move quickly to seat the final batch before opening statements next week.
Court started at 9:30am ET. Combs had a notepad and took notes. He is engaged with his legal team.
Judge Arun Subramanian said he’d like a pool of 45 jurors by the end of the week. The teams secured 35 qualified potential jurors Tuesday. On Wednesday, just before 1pm ET 45 prospective jurors were selected, and from that pool 12 jurors will be chosen and six alternates.
Lawyers have been questioning potential jurors on several topics including their feelings about sexual abuse, knowledge of the case and whether they’ve viewed surveillance video of Combs allegedly dragging ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura
The footage obtained by CNN reportedly shows hotel surveillance tape of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. Attorneys representing Ventura declined to comment when NewsNation reached out.
At least one juror was struck on Tuesday after admitting to seeing the video. After they said they saw the video, Combs defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, “What he saw will have an effect on him,” adding it’s “dangerous when people see these videos.”
Several potential jurors have been removed from the pool after watching news footage of the case.
Lisa Bloom, a victims’ rights attorney representing former Danity Kane member, Dawn Richard, and a man identified as “John Doe” in civil cases, as well as a government witness in the federal trial, was in the courtroom on Wednesday.
Bloom told NewsNation, “The judge continues to question the potential jurors and many have been excluded. Some have said the hotel video makes Mr. Combs look guilty. Another said the rich often act above the law.”
… “One woman appeared on the verge of being excluded only to say she really would decide the case based on evidence. Nearly everyone has heard about the case, and many have had workplace sexual harassment training.”
A number of Combs’ supporters have been in the courtroom including his cousin whom the rapper kept looking back at in the galley.
Combs was nodding to the cousin who appeared to be writing jurors he liked. He added another lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, to his team Tuesday.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys have had the opportunity to question potential jurors to dismiss any of them for cause, including possible bias or lack of impartiality.
The attorneys will also have a limited number of strikes to dismiss jurors without cause.
Combs faces federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The music producer has been held without bail since his September 2024 arrest, which came after two of his homes were raided by federal investigators seven months earlier.
Prosecutors have alleged Combs used the resources of his music empire to create “a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
Combs has denied the allegations. His legal team did not return a request for comment ahead of the trial.