Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Face a 'Challenge' in Jury Selection

Entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is currently on trial in New York as the former rapper and producer was indicted on federal charges of having engaged in or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, obstructing justice, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, and bribery. As the trial begins, however, it faces a pretty major problem.

In most cases, attorneys attempt to create a jury filled with unbiased individuals wh have know predispositions about the case. But as attorneys attempt to select a jury of his peers in this case, they face a pretty major problem in that regard.

As CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig points out, it will be almost impossible to find someone who does not have any predispositions about the case and does not already have an opinion of the defendant.

That puts the attorneys in a pretty unique position as they try to put together a jury.

“This is the rare case where you have to go into it assuming that every potential juror knows who the defendant is and knows something about the case and probably has some predisposition about the case,” Honig said in a recent interview. “And so the task of jury selection is to weed out people who simply cannot put aside what they already know and believe and can’t render a fair verdict.”

Honig pointed out that "there are people whose judgment can be clouded a bit either way."

For example, Honig suggested that the prosecution might attempt to remove any prospective juror who seems to idolize Combs or “has remained loyal to (him) as a fan” despite the allegations, and they also might look to remove someone who “displays some negativity towards the alleged victims and their motives.”

It's certainly not an ideal situation, but Honig is still confident in the process.

“There’s nothing that the courts haven’t dealt with before, but it’s a challenge,” Honig said.