
Upcoming National Trials in 2025
Every year, the media covers various national court cases — but 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet for criminal trials. Multiple celebrities and accused murderers are set to defend their case in court while the world is watching in anticipation.
Today, we’ll be reviewing a handful of the upcoming trials in the U.S. that are expected to hit national news. As each case progresses throughout the year, the Hickey & Hull blog will update our readers and provide a summary of court actions.
Notable Celebrity Court Cases
Some of Hollywood’s elite found themselves in significant legal trouble last year, and many cases are scheduled on the 2025 court docket. From famous music moguls to public relations (PR) nightmares, here’s some of the trials set to dominate the news cycle:
Sean Combs (Diddy)
Whether you know him as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or just plain Diddy, chances are you’ve heard something about his legal battle. Diddy’s troubles began in 2023, when his former partner Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against him for abuse and sexual assault. While this suit was quickly settled out of court, her initial filing sparked more individuals to come forth with similar stories of physical and sexual abuse by Diddy.
But this was just the beginning — in March 2024, Diddy’s residence was raided by Homeland Security. Consequently, in September, he was arrested for arson, bribery, sex trafficking, and other related crimes. The judge presiding over the case has denied Diddy’s bail and announced the trial will start on May 5th.
Tupac Shakur’s Murder Trial
In the fall of 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot and killed at the young age of 25. But with all of the charges against Diddy, the arrest of Tupac’s alleged murderer was easy to miss — especially considering Diddy was also name dropped in this case as well.
Duane Davis is currently awaiting trial for the murder of Tupac and he claims Diddy offered him a million dollars to execute the hit. Recently, Davis has filed a motion to dismiss, claiming that the case is too old to rely on witnesses and the potential evidence has deteriorated.
Davis’s motion will be reviewed in court on January 21st. Depending upon the result, his case is set to begin on March 17th.
Blake Lively Vs. Justin Baldoni
Married to A-Lister Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively filed a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department against her actor co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, for sexual harassment and emotional distress while filming the movie, “It Ends With Us.”
Currently, both Lively and Baldoni have filed lawsuits, and while there is no trial date available at this time, this court case will set a precedent for the future. It’s alleged that Baldoni’s PR team purposely slandered Lively on social media, while Baldoni is arguing that Lively’s legal team isn’t providing the full context.
What will happen? Only time can tell. But this case will show the general public how PR teams operate in the modern world of technology (and whether or not alleged social media slander can be pursued in the court of law).
Infamous Murder Trials
Lover of true crime documentaries? Avid watcher of the news? If yes, odds are that you’ve heard about these infamous cases. From 1989 to the present, these new court trials will certainly be covered by various media:
Erik & Lyle Menendez
To our true crime lovers, we know you’re thinking, “Weren’t the Menendez brothers charged in 1996 for the murder of their parents?” Yes, they were, and the 1996 judge gave each brother two life sentences without parole. But this year, the brothers are set to appear in front of a judge again for possible resentencing.
Erik and Lyle Menendez claim that their father was sexually abusing them and they acted in self-defense. As new evidence has come to light, multiple Menendez family members have come forward asking for resentencing because they believe the brothers deserve to come home on parole.
The Menendez case will be reviewed in court on January 30th and 31st.
Bryan Kohberger
While you might not recognize the name, many people can recall the murders of four University of Idaho students. Three women and one man were stabbed to death in a rental apartment, while two other residents and a pet were left unharmed during the attack.
After an investigation, it was determined that Bryan Kohberger’s car had visited the house and sped off around the estimated time of death. Kohberger’s criminal trial will start in August and, if found guilty, the prosecutor is pushing for the death penalty.
Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione deserves his own write-up, but we’ll keep it short and sweet for now (in anticipation for later posts as his criminal case progresses).
Mangione is accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthCare, Brian Thompson. Upon his arrest, police officers found incriminating evidence that seemingly linked Mangione to the fatal shooting. Recently, his case was moved back to allow the prosecution and defense more time to develop their court arguments. As of now, his trial will begin on February 17th.
Stay Tuned For Additional Updates From Hickey & Hull
These notable national trials are just the tip of the iceberg — many more court cases will arise in 2025. If you find yourself in hot water at any point during the year, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Hickey & Hull.
Our Arkansas legal team has valuable experience in business law, criminal cases, family matters, and more. Contact us today for your initial consultation!