Why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Lawyers Are Focusing on What Jurors Aren’t Saying

Jury selection in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs entered its third day on Wednesday, and a jury consulting expert said body language from potential jurors could play an important role in the process.

Why It Matters

The charges against Combs have sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, given his longstanding influence as a rapper, producer and entrepreneur. With potential legal ramifications that could reshape his career, the trial has become a focal point for both media and public attention.

Jury selection is expected to play a pivotal role in the case, potentially influencing the outcome based on who is chosen to serve.

What To Know

Hiliary Remick, managing director of jury consulting at Magna Legal Services, explained the role body language could play in jury selection.

“The trick for the defendant is to figure out whether these jurors are giving off any other signals,” Remick told Newsweek. “So they might be looking at the jurors to see if there’s anything from body language that they can detect that might mean they really want to be on this jury.”

Combs is facing federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies any wrongdoing.

Remick said that media coverage of the case is a “real struggle.”

“I think there’s a real risk of jurors not being candid about their beliefs concerning this pre-existing information,” Remick said.

Combs was formally charged in September of last year. Prosecutors allege that the artist used his influence and connections to facilitate illegal activities involving multiple victims. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Combs made headlines in May of last year when surveillance footage from 2016 showed him grabbing, shoving, dragging and kicking his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a California hotel.

The video was widely circulated online and Remick sees it being a “big issue” in picking a jury.

“You hear some of the potential jurors already talking about having seen the video, or having it had an impact on them, and for the defendant, even if jurors say that they can be fair or get past it, that kind of pre-existing information could be tough to get past,” Remick said.

Throughout the jury selection process, several celebrities’ names have been mentioned, including rappers Kid Cudi and Kanye West, and actor Michael B. Jordan. Jurors were given a list of at least 190 people, including celebrities and public figures, and asked to indicate the names they recognized. It is unclear how the names on the list relate to Combs’ trial.

“Jurors can be swayed by the power of celebrity, not only in Mr. Combs, but in the potential witnesses,” Remick said.

What People Are Saying

Remick, in an interview with Newsweek: “We’ll look for whether jurors seem forthcoming and honest, and that’s going to come in the form of not only their words, but their body language.”

Combs’ lawyers, in a statement to CBS News New York last month: “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”

What Happens Next

Opening statements are expected to begin on May 12. The trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. If convicted, Combs faces potentially decades in prison.

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