As the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial enters its final weeks, an unexpected twist threatens to upend the entire process.
Multiple outlets have now confirmed that Juror Number 6 has been dismissed by the judge over a residency issue.
Apparently, there were some inconsistencies with the juror’s remarks about his residency, with him claiming to live in the Bronx on one occasion, and New Jersey on another.
It’s the sort of mundane procedural hiccup that happens with just about every trial — but this minor development could have major implications.
Diddy’s defense team continues to call for mistrial
We don’t know much about the dismissed juror, other than that he’s a Black male.
And because of his race, Diddy’s lawyers declared last week that if the juror were to be dismissed, they would demand a mistrial.
We do not know the race or gender of the juror who was called in as an alternate, but it seems that Team Diddy is arguing that the new jury is more likely to be racially biased.
Normally, the demand for a mistrial would have little chance at succeeding, and that’s probably still the case here.
But the events of Monday afternoon have added new layers of complexity to this situation.
A mysterious text message ignites a new controversy
According to TMZ, a different juror approached the judge today and revealed that they received a text message from an unknown number asking if they were the juror who was on the verge of being dismissed.
The juror did the right thing by bringing their concerns to the judge, but ironically, that move could lead to their dismissal.
Sources tell TMZ that Judge Arun Subramanian believes that the text might be an indication that the juror has been discussing the case outside of the courtroom.
Jurors have not been sequestered during the trial, but they have been instructed not to discuss the case with outsiders.
If the judge determines this juror violated that rule, then they’ll be dismissed and a second alternate will be brought in — which could strengthen the defense’s argument for a mistrial.
The odds are still against Diddy’s lawyers. After all, it would take a lot for the judge to toss out six weeks’ worth of testimony, and juror dismissals are fairly common.
But regardless of what happens, the fact that the defense keeps turning to the mistrial strategy is intriguing.
It could be an indication that they don’t like their chances if the jury goes to deliberations at the end of this month, as is currently the plan.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Diddy Juror Dismissed: Here’s Why It Could Lead to a Mistrial was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.