Diddy pleads not guilty to new indictment ahead of trial

nme.com:

Diddy” Combs appeared in court yesterday (March 14), and plead not guilty to two new indictments that were unveiled against him in January and earlier this month.Several outlets have noted that the 55-year-old’s once dark hair was fully grey, and he sported a greying beard that had grown since his arrest last September.

Yesterday marked the first time he spoke to the court since his arraignment on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.

He pleaded not guilty.Prosecutors added two more alleged female victims to the case and accused Combs of forced labour and abusive treatment of his employees, with Combs acknowledging that he was briefed on the two new indictments that expanded the alleged offenses committed under the racketeering charge.The hearing focused predominantly on scheduling issues ahead of Diddy’s May 5 trial, with Judge U.S.

District Judge Arun Subramanian ruling that jury questionnaires would roll out on April 28, with the voir dire – a significant part of the selection process – commencing on May 5 ahead of opening statements on May 12.Prosecutors had aimed to begin the jury selection process slightly earlier on April 21, in the hopes that opening arguments would commence on the trial’s scheduled start date of May 5.