Juror Removed from Sean Combs Trial Amid Residency Inconsistencies
A juror has been dismissed from the high-profile federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs following revelations of significant inconsistencies in his statements about where he lives.
The dismissal of the juror, identified as Juror No. 6, was finalized by U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday, June 16, after nearly a week of deliberation and questioning. The core issue centered on the juror providing conflicting details about his residency, which is a fundamental requirement for jury service within the Southern District of New York where the trial is taking place.
A Shifting Address: The Inconsistencies Unpacked
During the initial jury selection process (voir dire), the juror indicated on a questionnaire that he resided in the Bronx, New York. However, conflicting accounts emerged later in the trial, now in its sixth or seventh week.
He was reportedly overheard telling a court staffer that he had recently moved in with his girlfriend in New Jersey and was staying there most of the time.
When questioned behind closed doors, the juror claimed he maintained a Bronx apartment where he stayed four to five nights a week during the trial and for work.
This contradicted an earlier statement during a prospective juror interview weeks prior, where he said he lived in the Bronx with his fiancé and infant daughter.
At one point, he also mentioned living with an aunt but later omitted this detail.
Prosecutors, led by Maurene Comey, first raised concerns, citing the juror’s “lack of candor” regarding these discrepancies.
Judge Cites “Lack of Candor” and Integrity Concerns
Judge Subramanian reviewed the juror’s various statements, finding “several inconsistencies” and “clear inconsistencies” between his answers in court transcripts and interviews.
The judge stated that while a person’s living situation might seem a “trivial matter,” the inability to provide consistent answers to simple questions “goes to a juror’s basic criteria to serve.” He concluded that the inconsistencies raised “serious questions about the juror’s candor and the juror’s ability to follow the court’s instructions,” suggesting they could indicate a desire to “shade answers” or “be deceptive” to get on or stay on the jury.
Ultimately, Judge Subramanian determined that the juror’s credibility was irreparably damaged (“nothing the juror can say at this point that can put the genie back in the bottle”) and that keeping him on the panel could threaten the integrity of the judicial process. He stated that removing the juror was “required.”
Defence Strongly Objects, Raises Race Issue
Sean Combs’ legal team strongly opposed the dismissal and, for the third time in the trial, requested a mistrial. Defence lawyer Xavier Donaldson argued that it is “very, very common” for people to move between New York City and New Jersey and believed the court was unfairly “equating inconsistencies with lying.” He contended the juror was attentive during the trial.
The defence’s primary objection, however, centered on the juror’s race. The dismissed juror is a 41-year-old Black Hispanic man who works as a head accountant clerk for the New York State Department of Corrections. Donaldson highlighted that the jury was the most diverse he had seen in his thirty-year career and that the dismissed juror was one of the few Black men on the panel. He stated that dismissing the juror would be “a step backward” for the court, adding that he didn’t “generally play the race card unless I have it in my hand.” The defence accused the government of potentially attempting to “strike yet another Black male from the jury.”
Federal prosecutors rejected the implication that race factored into their request for dismissal, calling the jury’s diversity a “wonderful thing.”
Judge Subramanian also firmly rejected the defence’s arguments regarding race, stating the court “cannot and should not let race factor into what it should do” and that the inconsistencies in residency were the clear, non-racial reason for excusal. He expressed disappointment that the defence raised the racial issue and attempted to accuse prosecutors of misconduct, stating there was “zero” evidence of such.
Replacement Juror and Trial Context
The dismissed Juror No. 6 has been replaced by an alternative juror, a 57-year-old white male accountant from Westchester County, New York. The trial began with eight men and four women on the main jury, plus six alternates.
Sean Combs, 55, was arrested last September and faces charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and remains incarcerated after being denied bail multiple times.
The trial is progressing, with the prosecution anticipated to finish presenting its case this week. The defence will then have the opportunity to call its own witnesses. Judge Subramanian has reportedly expressed a desire to conclude the trial before the July 4 holiday.
Other developments during the trial have included celebrity appearances and a warning issued to Combs by the judge for appearing to attempt to influence jurors through head nods during a witness’s cross-examination. Questions have also reportedly arisen about another juror, whose phone was confiscated by the judge, though no decision regarding that juror’s status had been announced as of the time of the dismissal of Juror No. 6. The dismissed juror’s background also includes past legal matters, such as a settled suit against the Port Authority and an arrest for insurance fraud related to a car accident. He is reportedly a fan of the Mets, reggaeton music, and ’90s hip hop.
