Diddy's Lawyers Claim Racial Bias After an Afro-Latino Juror is Dismissed in the Middle of the Trial
The dismissed juror was one of two black men on the jury for the hip hop mogul's trial and was replaced with a white man.
A Black Hispanic man serving as a juror in Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial was dismissed on Monday. The decision prompted immediate backlash from the rapper's legal team, who claim the removal undermines jury diversity and reflects racial bias.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed the juror, identified only as Juror No. 6, citing conflicting statements about his residency. The 41-year-old man initially told the court during jury selection that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée and daughter. However, a court staffer later overheard him stating he had recently moved to New Jersey—a detail that, if true, would place him outside the Southern District of New York and disqualify him from serving.
@cbsnews The judge in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial has removed one of the jurors from the case after there were questions about his candor and inconsistent statements about where he lives. #diddy #seancombs
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After conducting two private hearings to clarify the inconsistency, Judge Subramanian concluded that the juror's testimony was not credible and that he had "shaded the truth" to remain on the jury.
"This court cannot allow someone to serve when they cannot be candid about basic facts like where they live," Subramanian said in court. He added that the removal was based solely on concerns over honesty and had "nothing to do with race."
Defense attorneys for Combs immediately pushed back, arguing that the dismissal of one of the only two Black men originally seated on the panel compromised the fairness of the trial. "It is of paramount importance that we have a jury that is representative of the population it is judging, especially in a case with a Black defendant," said defense attorney Xavier Donaldson.
The defense team warned that the removal could be perceived as part of a pattern of disproportionately striking jurors of color in high-profile cases. They also emphasized that diversity among jurors is critical in cases that involve allegations of sexual abuse and race-based narratives, such as those surrounding Combs.
Judge Subramanian maintained that race "should not, indeed cannot, enter into the court's consideration" when deciding a juror's eligibility. He emphasized that permitting someone to stay on the jury despite misleading the court would be "legally improper," regardless of that juror's racial or ethnic identity.
Juror No. 6 was replaced by a 57-year-old white male accountant from Westchester County. The jury, originally composed of five Black members, is now down to four, with only one Black man remaining. The substitution, while procedurally valid, intensified existing concerns about how representative the jury remains.
According to People magazine, the defense team is now considering whether to raise the issue again in a formal motion or use it as grounds for appeal if Combs is convicted. This development comes as the prosecution nears the end of its case in the high-stakes trial. Combs is facing multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to traffic women across state lines for sex and running an organized criminal enterprise under the guise of his music and fashion businesses. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Originally published on Latin Times
