Legal

Diddy's got all sorts of emotions as jury selection begins in his sex trafficking trial ... and he sounds anxious.

The Bad Boy Records founder is in court as potential jurors are questioned by the judge ... and at one point Diddy spoke up to reveal some of the nerves he's feeling.

Diddy told the judge, "I'm sorry your honor, I'm a little nervous today."

Diddy is already facing off with prosecutors in his sex trafficking trial that kicked off Monday in an NYC courtroom ... but he may also have to stare down several accusers who have filed civil lawsuits against him, TMZ has learned.

Florida-based attorney Ariel Mitchell -- who represents 3 of Diddy's alleged victims in civil cases and potentially a fourth -- says she might fly up to the Big Apple to attend the music mogul's federal criminal trial ... with her clients.

As you know, Diddy is on trial for allegedly committing a slew of crimes, including racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He's also accused of forcing women to engage in "Freak Offs" ... marathon sex sessions that include male sex workers, according to federal prosecutors.

On the first day of the Diddy trial, the judge is asking prospective jurors about their celebrity knowledge and their own personal backgrounds, based on answers to a lengthy questionnaire each has already filled out ... and one candidate has an occupation and a family relation that could affect both sides of the case.

In a packed NYC courthouse Monday morning, federal judge Arun Subramanian began questioning possible jurors -- and Juror No. 2's job is particularly interesting in the context of Diddy's alleged crimes ... as is his sister's relationship past.

Juror 2 happens to be a massage therapist -- who probably knows a thing or two about baby oil, which will play a HUGE role in the Diddy case. As you know, Diddy bought baby oil in bulk to use during his "Freak Offs," which are marathon sexual encounters between Diddy, his girlfriends and a male escort, according to a federal indictment.

Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page isn't showing a songwriter a whole lotta love over one of the band's classic hits, and now he's dragging the guitarist into federal court.

A guy named Jake Holmes filed the suit against James Patrick Page -- yeah, that's his full name -- over "Dazed and Confused" ... the song Zeppelin dropped back in '69. In the docs, Holmes says it's already been legally established that he is the copyright holder on the track -- he and Page reached a settlement in 2011.

Holmes says he noticed something awry with the new IMAX documentary, "Becoming Led Zeppelin," which was released earlier this year -- the film credits say Page wrote 'Dazed' and Holmes only "inspired" it, but Holmes says that's patently false.

The first day of the federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs began this morning with some lighthearted comments by the judge ... who mentions Diddy's various nicknames over the years, and nods to the size of the potential jury pool and the length of the questionnaire each individual filled out.

As proceedings got formally underway, Judge Arun Subramanian made a remark comparing the size of the list of prospective jurors that both sides will question on the stand -- and the questionnaire of people and places in the case -- to the famously vast "Lord of the Rings" trilogy of novels.

As you know, there are many challenges on both sides for jury selection, which is expected to take several days.

Diddy will finally face a jury of his peers who will determine his fate for the rest of his life ... but finding the right jury -- for each side -- is gonna be a Herculean task.

The defense will have a much more difficult time, because there's no such thing as an unbiased jury. Good luck finding a prospective juror in New York City -- or anywhere else in this country, for that matter -- that hasn't formed an opinion about this case.

Since the public view is Diddy is guilty, prosecutors have a big edge. As for the defense, the way to go about asking questions regarding bias is NOT simply asking if a prospective juror can have an open mind. The way to do it ... they ask if prospective jurors have ever held a view that was important to them but were able to change their mind, and they need to be specific.

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.

President Trump knows how to throw a curveball — and his latest one most people won't see coming because he plans to reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison.

In fact, the commander in chief says on Truth Social ... he’s directing the federal Bureau of Prisons to not only reopen Alcatraz but to rebuild the prison in order to “house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders” and “serve as a symbol of Law, Order and JUSTICE.”

In his Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump goes on to say, “We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally.”

Kevin Garnett and his girlfriend were involved in a heated argument late last month, and cops were called to the scene ... but both sides are now saying things never got out of hand.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... Garnett's partner, Teare Candelier, dialed 911 just before 2 AM on April 27 to report she and Garnett had been involved in a domestic dispute at their Los Angeles-area residence.

We're told when officers arrived, Garnett had left ... but they nonetheless took a report. They noted Candelier did refuse medical aid after they asked if she needed it.

Karen Read looks to be taking her retrial for murder in stride ... appearing relaxed after a recent court appearance -- having a drink and chatting with strangers.

TMZ has obtained photos of Read at SAVR, a bistro in Boston's Seaport District -- not long after she finished up another week of her retrial on Friday.

Eyewitnesses tell us Read was with her legal team -- including powerhouse defense attorney Alan Jackson ... who we're told flattered everyone in the bar, working the room and schmoozing like a pro.

Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith are on the same page when it comes to most of their divorce terms -- but when it comes to grade school, they're still going at it in court.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Joshua and Jodie have hammered out a divorce settlement. According to the docs, the couple used a mediator to come up with a temporary schedule to govern the 50-50 custody of their daughter, Juno.

What they can't agree on is ... where Juno's gonna go to school, and now Jodie wants the judge to force Joshua to adhere to a court order that gives her the power to pick Juno's elementary school.

Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper Wanda Barzee may or may not be smiling after her arrest on Thursday ... but there’s no doubt she was one happy camper posing for her mugshot for Utah’s Sex Offender Registry.

TMZ has obtained the photo of Barzee from the registry -- and the convicted criminal could not have looked more jovial. Check out her big fat grin, showing off her yellow-stained teeth.

She also flashes her wild eyes and messy white hair with moles on her face and neck. The registry lists, among other things, her height, weight and 11 aliases along with details about her federal conviction for abducting Smart.

Diddy's defense team is starting to take shape on the eve of his federal criminal trial ... and he's got some accomplished legal minds on his side.

The Bad Boy Records founder is rocking with Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos as his lead attorneys ... and Marc's been at the center of some high-profile cases.

Agnifilo previously defended NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan and Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng.

Geragos is a partner at Marc's firm ... and she worked with him on the Raniere case.

Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper, Wanda Barzee, was back behind bars for a brief moment ... because she was arrested in Utah for allegedly violating the conditions of her supervised release.

Police in Salt Lake City tell TMZ ... Wanda was arrested Thursday after detectives discovered she allegedly visited at least two public parks in town.

The issue ... Barzee is a registered sex offender in Utah and going to a public park is a big no-no for her.

Mase says people keep hitting him up, asking him if he's going to make an appearance in the gallery at the upcoming Diddy criminal trial ... and he's seemingly putting the decision up to his fans.

The rapper revealed on his "It Is What It Is" podcast with Cam'Ron that he keeps getting asked about going to support Diddy in court ... and he's asking fans to vote on whether he should go or not.

Mase and Diddy have a long history ... with Mase releasing his debut album "Harlem World" in 1997 on Diddy's label, Bad Boy Records.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says he will NOT recuse himself from the Erik and Lyle Menendez case ... despite their attorney calling for Hochman to step aside.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hochman says there's no legal reason for him to recuse himself ... and he blasts the defense for what he sees as a "drastic and desperate step" ... claiming they are trying to sidestep the central issue here ... resentencing, which Hochman opposes.

Erik and Lyle's attorney, Mark Geragos, previously called for Hochman to recuse himself.