Judge Arun Subramanian reportedly issued a devastating blow to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team by formally dismissing a black male juror from trial Monday.
The news shook up the courtroom at the start of Monday’s proceedings, leaving just one black male remaining on the jury panel, according to Billboard.
Prosecutors moved to dismiss the juror Friday because of an alleged “lack of candor” in his answers about where he lives before he was selected for the trial, the outlet reported.
The defense pushed back against the move and issued a court filing over the weekend, arguing the juror was “one of only two black men on the jury” and that the disgraced music mogul would be “severely prejudiced” if the juror were removed, Billboard reported.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: A person wearing a “Free Puff” sweatshirt arrives for the start of the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial at Manhattan Federal Court on May 05, 2025 in New York City. Jury selection begins in Combs’ trial, who has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting to engage in prostitution. Combs has been in custody since his arrest last September and has pleaded not guilty on all charges. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The man allegedly said he lives in the Bronx during jury selection, but later said he had been living in New Jersey some of the time — which would make him ineligible to sit on the jury, according to Billboard.
Diddy’s defense attorney Xavier Donaldson claimed the removal was a “thinly veiled effort to dismiss a black juror,” the outlet said.
Another lawyer from Diddy’s defense team, Alexandra A.E. Shapiro, said the government had a “discriminatory motive” and argued the prosecution was taking the opportunity to “strike yet another black male from the jury,” according to Billboard.
“The fairness of the trial depends in part on having jurors with backgrounds similar to Mr. Combs share their perspectives on the evidence with other jurors from diverse backgrounds during deliberations,” Shapiro wrote in a court filing obtained by the outlet.
“Removing this particular juror will deprive Mr. Combs of that important perspective,” Shapiro reportedly wrote, noting it would warrant a mistrial.
“There is no question Mr. Combs would be severely prejudiced if the juror in question were removed,” she said, according to Billboard.
“Their pretextual motion to dismiss [the juror] is just one more attempt to gain an unfair advantage at the expense of Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial — which is all we ask this Court to preserve,” Shapiro argued.
Rapper Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs waves to reporters as he leaves court for the first day of his trial, Monday, January 29, 2001 in New York. Photo by Keith D. Bedford/ImageDirect, Getty Images
Judge Subramanian told the court it was “inappropriate to consider race” when determining whether the juror had truthfully answered questions, according to ABC News.
“The record raised serious concerns as to the juror’s candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury,” Subramanian said, according to Billboard.
“There’s nothing the juror could say at this point to put the genie back in the bottle,” he added.
Judge Subramanian replaced the 41-year-old black male juror with a member of the alternate pool, a 57-year-old white man, according to Billboard.(RELATED: Potential Diddy Juror Reportedly Evades Serving Due To Drug Habit BLOG)
The judge temporarily dismissed the juror after the Friday trial, according to the outlet.
Diddy’s trial entered its sixth week Monday, and the defense is expected to call its own witnesses after the prosecution finishes its case by the end of the sixth week, according to Billboard.
A verdict in the sex trafficking and racketeering case is expected by July 4th.
Diddy faces a potential life sentence if found guilty.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
