Three dozen potential jurors were questioned by Judge Arun Subramanian about their answers on a questionnaire meant to help determine if they could be fair and impartial at a trial that will feature violent and sexually explicit videos. Opening statements and the start of testimony are scheduled for next week.

The judge gave the would-be jurors a brief description of the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges against Combs, telling them he’d pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent.

By the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size as some were excluded for personal reasons such as inability to endure a trial projected to last two months or because their opinions or past experiences would make it difficult for them to remain objective.

A similar number of jurors was expected to be questioned on Tuesday. A jury was not expected to be chosen before Wednesday.

Throughout Monday, Combs, 55, sat with his lawyers in a sweater over a white collared shirt and gray slacks, which the judge had allowed rather than jail clothing. He’s been held in a grim federal lockup in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. His hair and goatee were almost fully gray because dye isn’t allowed in jail.

Unlike other recent high-profile celebrity trials, Combs’ court case won’t be broadcast live because federal courtrooms don’t allow electronic recordings inside — meaning courtroom sketch artists serve as the public’s eyes in the courtroom.

If convicted of all charges, he could face up to life in prison.

Several prospective jurors indicated they’d seen news reports featuring a key piece of evidence in the case: a video of the hip-hop mogul hitting and kicking one of his accusers in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. One prospective juror described a still image she saw from the video as “damning evidence.” That woman was rejected from consideration.

After another juror was dismissed, Combs asked for a bathroom break, telling the judge, “I’m sorry your honor I’m a little nervous today.”

One prospective juror said she had posted a “like” to a video put on social media by a comedian who included references to large amounts of baby oil found by law enforcement in one of Combs’ homes. She was not dismissed.

The 17-page indictment against Combs — which reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang — alleges that Combs engaged in a two-decade racketeering pattern of abusive behavior against women and others, with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses.

Combs and his lawyers say he’s innocent and any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people into things they didn’t want to do, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket.

Prosecutors say women were manipulated into drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called “Freak Offs.” To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked — or cut them off if they didn’t.

And when he wasn’t getting what he wanted, the indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony.

Combs has acknowledged one episode of violence that is considered a key piece of the prosecution’s case. In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, did.

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A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health examining the impact of the opioid epidemic on child maltreatment found that the implementation of state programs to monitor prescription drug prescribing are associated with reductions in child maltreatment. As a result, policies that restrict the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances, may have indirect benefits for child welfare. The findings are published in The Journal of Pediatrics. 

“There is evidence that the opioid epidemic has had a profound impact on families, and that increasing opioid misuse may also be associated with increases in child welfare caseloads. Our aim was to test whether the introduction of prescription drug monitoring—state programs that try to limit riskier forms of prescription drug prescribing and diversion—are then associated with reductions in child maltreatment” said Emilie Bruzelius, MPH, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, and first author. 

Using data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia produced by the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, the researchers tracked all incidents of Child Protective Services (CPS)-investigated child maltreatment for the years 2004-2018. They compared the prevalence of maltreatment incidents and victims, in states with and without PDMPs, before and after implementation, by maltreatment type and among different racial and ethnic groups. 

Between 2004 and 2018, there were 12, 676, 248 CPS- reported maltreatment incidents identified. Total maltreatment decreased across the period, but study results suggested that maltreatment prevalence decreased more in states that had implemented prescription drug monitoring programs compared to states that had not. Further analyses by the researchers suggested that overall reductions in maltreatment appeared to be driven by decreases in certain types of maltreatment, especially neglect (13 percent reduction) and physical abuse (22 percent reduction) based incidents. Declines also impacted racial/ethnic groups differently, with more pronounced reductions noted among  American Indian and Alaskan Native children, who tend to be disproportionally overrepresented in the child welfare system.

“Substance use disorder has been indicated as a significant risk factor for childhood maltreatment,” said Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, and senior author. “In addition to immediate harms, maltreatment is associated with greater risk of developing adverse health outcomes in adolescence or adulthood, including substance use disorder.” 

“Our results contribute to a growing body of literature examining the impacts of substance use disorder—particularly the opioid crisis—on children and families,” noted Bruzelius. “Our findings draw further attention to the impact that the opioid crisis has had on children, and call for additional research to better understand how effective opioid-related policies can enhance prevention and treatment efforts for families.”

Co-authors are: Natalie Levy, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Mayumi Okuda, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Shakira Suglia, Emory University Rollings School of Public Health.

The study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA045872).

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Anyone with information regarding this investigation can contact Investigator Andrade at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245-3300 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center at (951) 776-1099.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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