A judge’s decision to dismiss a juror in the ongoing case against Sean “Diddy” Combs regarding allegations of sex trafficking and assault occurred Monday morning.
The controversy surrounding Juror No. 6 heated up last week when prosecutors flagged inconsistencies in his statements about where he lived.
“There’s really nothing that can be done at this stage to restore the credibility of the juror,” Judge Arun Subramanian remarked in court before providing his testimony.
Experts have indicated that testimony from Diddy’s former girlfriend could likely be interpreted as “confusing” by jurors.
On the topic of potential bias, Judge Subramanian clarified that he wouldn’t entertain those considerations. Diddy’s legal team attempted to keep the juror, citing his ethnicity, and wanted to file a complaint if the juror was dismissed.
“The court can’t and shouldn’t take race into account,” the federal judge asserted.
Juror No. 6’s dismissal resulted in him being replaced by an alternate juror. Furthermore, Judge Subramanian stated that there was no evidence suggesting misconduct on the part of the prosecution.
During the proceedings, prosecutors revealed that the dismissed juror had recently relocated to New Jersey with his girlfriend and had mostly been living there throughout the trial period. However, when questioned privately, he mentioned he was spending four to five nights in New York. He also stated that while his daughter was born in New Jersey and lived there, he identified as a New Yorker.
He claimed to reside in the Bronx with his fiancé and daughter, but the judge pointed out notable inconsistencies in his testimony, highlighting issues with his ability to answer straightforward questions. Judge Subramanian acknowledged “serious questions” about the juror’s honesty due to these discrepancies.
As of Monday morning, it appeared there might be issues with a second juror, although details were not disclosed in court at that time. The judge was requested to remain at the end of the day to answer additional inquiries.
