A black juror was dismissed from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial on Monday (Jun 16), regardless of defence objections that the dismissal would scale back the racial range of the panel figuring out the hip-hop mogul’s destiny.
US District Decide Arun Subramanian stated the juror’s inconsistent solutions to questions on the place he lived raised questions on his honesty and will taint a verdict.
Subramanian stated he took defence issues about race severely – Combs is black – however couldn’t have in mind that the black male juror would get replaced by a white male, who had been an alternate juror.
“The courtroom shouldn’t, certainly can not, enable race to enter into its consideration,” Subramanian stated exterior the jury’s presence, because the sixth week of Combs’ trial received underway in Manhattan federal courtroom.
The jury is nameless, which is frequent for high-profile trials the place jurors might face threats or harassment if their identities had been recognized.
Subramanian stated the jury was “various”.
Combs has pleaded not responsible to racketeering and intercourse trafficking prices. Prosecutors say he coerced ladies over 20 years to participate in drug-fueled sexual performances with male intercourse employees, typically referred to as “Freak Offs”. The defence says the sexual exercise described by prosecutors was consensual.
Legal professionals for Combs, 55, have argued that their shopper was unfairly focused due to his race. In a Sunday evening courtroom submitting, protection legal professionals wrote that the juror in query was one in every of two black males on the jury.
“The equity of the trial relies upon partially on having jurors with backgrounds just like Mr Combs share their views on the proof with different jurors from various backgrounds throughout deliberations,” Combs’ legal professionals wrote.
Prosecutors stated in a Monday courtroom submitting that it was “baseless” for the defence to counsel that they’d a racial motivation to hunt the juror’s dismissal.
