Diddy Trial Takes Turn After Judge Makes Jury Decision
Sean "Diddy" Combs is currently under trial as he faces several federal charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. The rapper and music industry titan could potentially face life in prison if convicted on all counts.
The 24th day of the trial has begun, and a significant change has been made that could affect the outcome of the proceeding.
The judge in the case has elected to dismiss a juror, a decision that Diddy's team questioned earlier in the trial.
Juror No. 6 has been dismissed in the case, just days after Diddy's team explored the potential for a mistrial.
Diddy's legal team wrote a letter to the judge, explaining that dismissing the juror could be considered discrimination. According to the defense, the juror is a 41-year-old Black man, and the team argued that his dismissal could discourage other minorities from willfully participating in the legal process.
The judge cited transcripts from the selection process which show inconsistencies in the juror's description of where they live and with whom.
The juror initially said that he lived with his partner and child in the Bronx, but then explained that he moved in with a woman and her child in New Jersey but stays at his aunt's home in the Bronx during the work week.
"The changing answers and inconsistency give the court worry about deception and lying,' the judge said, according to CNN.
He also noted that he took the weekend to consider the defense's claims of potential discrimination, but remained firm in his choice.
The judge approached the bench on Monday and followed through with his decision to dismiss the juror. Juror No. 6 was replaced by the first alternate, and the judge explained that race was not a factor in that choice.
'It would be improper to let the race of the juror and the alternate juror factor into the proper course here all," the judge said on Monday morning.
The alternate juror is a is a 57-year-old man from Westchester County, New York who lives with his wife and two children. He's also a manufacturing architect with a master's degree in engineering.
The previous juror noted that he was a hip-hop fan, while the new juror says he's simply heard allegations levied against Combs through media coverage on the radio.
We'll see if the change in jurors has an effect on the outcome of the case.
Diddy Trial Takes Turn After Judge Makes Jury Decision first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 16, 2025
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