Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial judge dismisses juror over 'concerns about his candor'
The federal judge overseeing Sean "Diddy" Combs' racketeering and sex trafficking trial dismissed one of the jurors Monday morning, saying he had "concerns about his candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the panel."
Combs' lawyers had made a last-ditch appeal on Sunday to keep Juror #6, a 41-year-old Black man, on the 12-person panel. The defense team filed a 14-page letter arguing there wasn't a valid basis to toss him, and that doing so would be discriminatory.
Judge Arun Subramanian said Monday that he shared the defense team's concerns about tossing the juror, but he could not abide the man's inconsistent answers about where he lives — either in New York City, inside the bounds of the Southern District of New York, or with his girlfriend in New Jersey.
Juror #6 will be replaced by an alternate: a 57-year-old white man who lives in Westchester County, north of Manhattan.
Combs' attorneys, in their letter opposing the removal of the juror, argued in part that the U.S. government's prosecution of the hip-hop mogul has been a case of "extreme overreach."
"We believe that motive is supported not only by [the U.S. government's] remarkable decision to use 7 of its 9 peremptory strikes on Black jurors but also by the history of the investigation and prosecution, which has been characterized by extreme government overreach from the beginning," the defense wrote.
"All of this was part of a coordinated effort to try to destroy one of the most successful Black men in American history," the defense team later added, alluding to their client's accomplishments across music, fashion, branding deals and other ventures.
In a separate development, another juror on the panel faces questions about conversations he may have had with a colleague about the high-profile case. Subramanian questioned the juror on Friday, and the juror handed his cell phone to the judge.
Subramanian plans to ask the panelist another round of questions after Monday's testimony concludes.
Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts transportation to engage in prostitution. The racketeering conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The prosecution team has said it hopes to rest its case sometime this week, after calling a final wave of witnesses.
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On Feb. 14, in two separate incidents, three migrant border crossers — a woman and two adult men — died on the mountain during a storm where temperatures 'dropped to near-freezing levels,' according to the Border Patrol. Separately, agents responding to an emergency call found a 16-year-old girl suffering from hypothermia, without food or water, and two deceased adults. One of them was her father. On March 28, two Mexican women, one of them pregnant, were rescued from a remote canyon in Otay Mountain; they were unable to walk due to ankle injuries and they lacked food or water. Agents set up a makeshift tent for protection from the elements until they were evacuated by helicopter the following morning. 'As we start seeing more closures of traditional crossing points, the crossings become much more dangerous,' Ríos said. 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NBC News
6 hours ago
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial judge dismisses juror over 'concerns about his candor'
The federal judge overseeing Sean "Diddy" Combs' racketeering and sex trafficking trial dismissed one of the jurors Monday morning, saying he had "concerns about his candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the panel." Combs' lawyers had made a last-ditch appeal on Sunday to keep Juror #6, a 41-year-old Black man, on the 12-person panel. The defense team filed a 14-page letter arguing there wasn't a valid basis to toss him, and that doing so would be discriminatory. Judge Arun Subramanian said Monday that he shared the defense team's concerns about tossing the juror, but he could not abide the man's inconsistent answers about where he lives — either in New York City, inside the bounds of the Southern District of New York, or with his girlfriend in New Jersey. Juror #6 will be replaced by an alternate: a 57-year-old white man who lives in Westchester County, north of Manhattan. Combs' attorneys, in their letter opposing the removal of the juror, argued in part that the U.S. government's prosecution of the hip-hop mogul has been a case of "extreme overreach." "We believe that motive is supported not only by [the U.S. government's] remarkable decision to use 7 of its 9 peremptory strikes on Black jurors but also by the history of the investigation and prosecution, which has been characterized by extreme government overreach from the beginning," the defense wrote. "All of this was part of a coordinated effort to try to destroy one of the most successful Black men in American history," the defense team later added, alluding to their client's accomplishments across music, fashion, branding deals and other ventures. In a separate development, another juror on the panel faces questions about conversations he may have had with a colleague about the high-profile case. Subramanian questioned the juror on Friday, and the juror handed his cell phone to the judge. Subramanian plans to ask the panelist another round of questions after Monday's testimony concludes. Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts transportation to engage in prostitution. The racketeering conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution team has said it hopes to rest its case sometime this week, after calling a final wave of witnesses.
Daily Record
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