Sean Diddy vocally rejected the plea deal during a Manhattan court hearing on Thursday, May 1. His trial will begin Monday in New York.
P. Diddy’s trial will go ahead. On Thursday, May 1, the rapper, accused of leading a sex trafficking ring , confirmed that he rejected the plea deal proposed by prosecutors, Reuters reports .
The trial of the Diddy will therefore begin as scheduled in a New York court on Monday, May 5.
During a hearing in Manhattan federal court, Judge Arun Subramanian asked Sean “Diddy” Combs if he had reviewed the offer put forward by prosecutors and rejected it. “Yes, Your Honor,” replied the rapper, wearing beige jail clothes.
A trial that is expected to last at least eight weeks
At the hearing, Manhattan District Attorney Maurene Comey reiterated that the rapper faced a harsher sentence if convicted at trial than if he accepted the plea deal, the details of which she did not disclose. Last week, another prosecutor, Madison Smyser, revealed that Diddy rejected any plea deal.
If convicted on all five charges, including sex trafficking and extortion, Combs could face life in prison.
In preparation for the trial, which is expected to last between eight and ten weeks, New Yorkers summoned to serve on the jury began responding to a questionnaire on Monday about their knowledge of the case, which has received extensive media coverage. The goal is to form a jury of 12 people and six alternates capable of delivering an impartial verdict.