Diddy Trial Hectic Scenes From Outside NYC Courtroom Ahead of Jury Selection

Jury selection just kicked off in Diddy's federal trial, and it’s a total madhouse -- with some people getting paid just to stand in line for others to snag spots inside the courthouse.

We caught the chaos at the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Monday -- some folks told us they had been in line since the night before, saving spots for people who paid them to do the heavy lifting.

One line-holder told us he was getting $32 per hour to hold a place in line, though he admitted the going rate is more like $25 per hour. Any bit of extra income helps with inflation, particularly in Manhattan! Another clip on X showed just how absurd the line was to get into the courthouse for the jury selection ... so paying someone to save a spot makes sense.

Diddy's criminal federal trial won’t officially start until 12 jurors and 6 alternates are locked in -- and you could already spot what looked like a few potential jurors heading inside.

Finding the perfect jury is gonna be tough, especially with no such thing as an unbiased panel due to the high-profile nature of the case. Many have likely already made up their minds, with things like race, pre-trial buzz, and the whole celebrity sex tape/minor angle playing a huge role.