A juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' high-profile federal case was dismissed despite objections from the defense team.
On Monday, concerns over the juror’s honesty, triggered by mismatched information about his residence, led the judge to conclude that his presence could undermine the trial outcome.
The judge claimed that he took defense concerns about race seriously.
As Comb is black, but could not take into account that the Black male juror would be replaced by a white male, who had been an alternate juror.
“The court should not, indeed cannot, allow race to enter into its consideration,” Subramanian said outside the jury’s presence, as the sixth week of Combs’ trial got underway in Manhattan federal court.
To note, the jury’s identities are not known, which is common for high-profile trials where jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities were known.
Combs’ lawyers have argued that their client was unfairly targeted because of his race.
According to a Sunday night court filing, defense counsel emphasized that the juror was part of a small group of Black men on the jury, just two in total.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs court trial:
The Bad Boy Records founder pleaded not guilty to racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
As per prosecutors, Combs compelled women over twenty years to participate in drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers, sometimes known as Freak Offs.
However, the disgraced music mogul defense team claimed that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual.
