As the criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs approaches, the music mogul has intensified his legal defenses by assembling a formidable team of attorneys. Notably, one lawyer has captured significant attention during the jury selection process this week: high-profile attorney Mark Geragos. Renowned for representing celebrities like Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, and Jussie Smollett, Geragos has been present in the courtroom since Monday, raising eyebrows among both the defense and prosecution teams.
Mark Geragos’ involvement in the trial has prompted scrutiny from prosecutors, who expressed their concerns in a written letter to the presiding judge. Prosecutors claimed that the defense team appeared to be consulting with Geragos, implying that he may have an “apparent role as an advisor to the defendant.” They highlighted that Geragos has publicly commented on the case, suggesting that if he is indeed working with Combs, he should adhere to the same ethical guidelines as other attorneys and refrain from discussing the allegations.
When approached by CNN, Geragos clarified his position, stating, “I’m here to support my daughter. (Combs) is a friend.” He emphasized that he is not officially entering the case, despite his notable presence.
In a strategic move, Sean Combs recently hired Brian Steel, a criminal defense attorney based in Atlanta known for representing Young Thug in a high-profile racketeering trial. Additionally, Nicole Westmoreland, another Atlanta attorney who previously represented a co-defendant in the same trial, has joined Combs' growing legal team. Just two days before jury selection commenced, Combs also brought on board Xavier Donaldson, a defense lawyer from New York, who had been attending pretrial conferences prior to his official association with the case.
The jury selection process for Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial is anticipated to conclude by the end of Wednesday. The legal teams are diligently working to qualify a pool of 45 prospective jurors who have undergone a rigorous selection process throughout the week. Judge Arun Subramanian will continue to question new prospective jurors on Wednesday to finalize the last 10 jurors needed to meet the selection goal.
Once the final pool is established, attorneys from both sides will take turns striking jurors they wish to eliminate, ultimately seating a panel of 12 jurors along with several alternates. During the selection process, many prospective jurors acknowledged having seen media coverage of the allegations against Combs, including controversial hotel surveillance footage depicting him allegedly dragging and kicking his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
As prospective jurors entered the courtroom for their individual questioning, Sean Combs was observed standing at the defense table, attentively listening while dressed in a navy sweater, a white collared shirt, and gray pants. One potential juror noted that he had viewed the 2016 hotel surveillance video and described Combs' actions as portraying “an angry hostile person who is entitled.” However, he expressed confidence in his ability to remain fair and impartial, acknowledging that “mostly everybody saw the video.”
The third day of jury selection is set to commence at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, as the trial moves closer to officially beginning.
