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Because the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial enters its closing weeks, an surprising twist threatens to upend your entire course of.
A number of shops have now confirmed that Juror Quantity 6 has been dismissed by the decide over a residency challenge.
Apparently, there have been some inconsistencies with the juror’s remarks about his residency, with him claiming to stay within the Bronx on one event, and New Jersey on one other.
It’s the type of mundane procedural hiccup that occurs with nearly each trial — however this minor improvement might have main implications.
Diddy’s protection group continues to name for mistrial
We don’t know a lot in regards to the dismissed juror, apart from that he’s a Black male.
And due to his race, Diddy’s legal professionals declared final week that if the juror had been to be dismissed, they’d demand a mistrial.
We have no idea the race or gender of the juror who was known as in as an alternate, however plainly Workforce Diddy is arguing that the brand new jury is extra prone to be racially biased.
Usually, the demand for a mistrial would have little probability at succeeding, and that’s most likely nonetheless the case right here.
However the occasions of Monday afternoon have added new layers of complexity to this case.
A mysterious textual content message ignites a brand new controversy
In accordance with TMZ, a unique juror approached the decide immediately and revealed that they acquired a textual content message from an unknown quantity asking in the event that they had been the juror who was on the verge of being dismissed.
The juror did the precise factor by bringing their considerations to the decide, however satirically, that transfer might result in their dismissal.
Sources inform TMZ that Choose Arun Subramanian believes that the textual content could be a sign that the juror has been discussing the case exterior of the courtroom.
Jurors haven’t been sequestered in the course of the trial, however they’ve been instructed to not focus on the case with outsiders.
If the decide determines this juror violated that rule, then they’ll be dismissed and a second alternate will likely be introduced in — which might strengthen the protection’s argument for a mistrial.
The chances are nonetheless towards Diddy’s legal professionals. In any case, it might take so much for the decide to toss out six weeks’ value of testimony, and juror dismissals are pretty widespread.
However no matter what occurs, the truth that the protection retains turning to the mistrial technique is intriguing.
It may very well be a sign that they don’t like their probabilities if the jury goes to deliberations on the finish of this month, as is at present the plan.
We’ll have additional updates on this creating story as new data turns into out there.
