Diddy trial: Juror dismissed over ‘inconsistencies’

A juror within the intercourse trafficking trial of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has been eliminated after giving inconsistent solutions about the place he lives.

Throughout jury choice, the juror indicated on a questionnaire that he lived within the Bronx space of New York. However extra not too long ago, he advised a courtroom staffer he had moved in along with his girlfriend in New Jersey.

On Friday, Choose Arun Subramanian mentioned he had discovered “a number of inconsistencies” between the juror’s solutions in courtroom transcripts, which he mentioned might counsel a need to “be misleading” in an effort to get on the jury.

Attorneys for Combs had opposed the choice, saying that Combs could be “considerably prejudiced by the dismissal” of a black male from the jury.

The juror has been changed by an alternate juror, a 57-year-old white father from Westchester.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible to costs of intercourse trafficking, racketeering and transportation to have interaction in prostitution.

The attainable dismissal of the juror has been mentioned by attorneys for the previous week.

Lead prosecutor Maurene Comey had requested {that a} juror be dismissed for what she described as “a scarcity of candour”.

The prosecution mentioned the juror had disclosed that he not too long ago moved to New Jersey along with his girlfriend and had been staying there for a lot of the trial.

When he was questioned behind closed doorways, the juror mentioned he was staying in an condominium within the Bronx, New York, through the week, for 4 to 5 nights, when he was working and doing jury obligation.

However the juror had mentioned at an earlier stage, in a potential juror interview a number of weeks in the past, that he lived within the Bronx along with his fiancé and daughter.

At one level, the juror had additionally talked about residing with an aunt, however later omitted her.

The choose mentioned he had discovered “a number of inconsistencies” between the juror’s solutions within the courtroom transcripts.

The inconsistencies, the choose mentioned, might level to a need to “shade solutions” and raised severe query in regards to the juror’s “candour” and his “skill to observe directions”.

The choose famous that there have been six various jurors to protect the “integrity” of the courtroom. “Elimination of the juror is required, on this courtroom’s view,” the choose mentioned.

One among Combs’ attorneys, Xavier Donaldson, objected to the choose’s inclination, saying it’s “very, quite common” for New Yorkers to maneuver between the town and New Jersey.

He mentioned he believed the courtroom is “equating inconsistencies with mendacity.”

“I do consider he’ll have the ability to observe directions,” Donaldson mentioned, including that Juror No. 6 has been “awake – I can not say all of them have been awake”.

The defence’s most important objection associated to the juror’s race, with Donaldson noting that the trial’s jury was essentially the most numerous he had seen in his three-decade profession.

“That half is essential to me and my consumer,” Donaldson mentioned, including that if the courtroom have been to dismiss the juror, it will be “a step backward.”

“I do not usually play the race card except I’ve it in my hand,” Donaldson mentioned.

Combs’s authorized group had requested a mistrial ought to the juror be dismissed.

On Monday, the choose mentioned: “There’s nothing the juror can say at this level that may put the genie again within the bottle and restore his credibility.”

Eight males and 4 girls have been chosen for the jury, together with six alternates. The trial is in its sixth week.

The prosecution plans to complete presenting its case this week, at which level the defence could have the prospect to name its personal witnesses.