Transcription
Day two of jury selection in his sex trafficking and racketeering case. We're getting a look this morning at some of the questions jurors are being asked. Chief investigative correspondent Aaron Kurski is right there at the courthouse for us. Aaron, good morning.
Good morning, Whit. No juror has been seated here so far, and jury selection has made Shawn Combmes a little bit nervous. This morning, day two of jury selection in the racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Shawn Combmes, seen in court with graying hair. Federal prosecutors are trying to prove Colmes used his power, wealth, and fame to force women into drug-fueled orgies he called "freakoffs," and then threaten them into silence. The jury questionnaire warned potential jurors there may be evidence of sexually explicit videos, photographs, and language. Many prospective jurors said they had heard of the case and this potentially damning evidence.
Video, first obtained by CNN, showing Colmes knocking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventur to the floor of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 and kicking and dragging her. "It was upsetting to watch," one woman told the judge, "but I don't know the full story, so I can listen to the facts." Many prospective jurors said they recognized the names of other celebrities that might come up at trial. Several potential jurors knew of Colmes' cultural significance. The woman said she remembered him from making the band. A man said he liked to listen to hip-hop in the 1990s. "Can't nobody hold me down." When Combmes became a chart-topping artist, to remain in the jury pool, all had to say they could be fair.
The judge tried to keep things moving. So when the defense asked for a bathroom break, Combmes apologized, saying, "Sorry, your honor. I'm a little nervous today." Once the judge whittles the pool to 45 prospective jurors, that's when lawyers will begin deciding which ones to strike. And opening statements will begin here on Monday, Whit, and we know you'll be there.
Aaron Kurski, thank you. You can stay up on all the details, all the news from the Diddy trial with our new podcast, Bad Rap, the case against Diddy.