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Diddy lost a key juror Monday (June 16) when a Black man was dismissed and replaced by a white accountant from Westchester County, rattling the racial makeup of the jury in his high-stakes federal trial in Manhattan.
The removal of Juror No. 6, one of only two Black men on the panel, has sparked concern from Diddy’s legal team, who argue the decision could jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
The defense had previously submitted an urgent motion opposing the juror’s dismissal, claiming there was no valid reason to remove him and warning that doing so would discourage minority participation in future jury pools.
The court replaced the dismissed juror with a 57-year-old white male from the alternate pool, a move the defense believes could tilt the jury’s racial balance.
The original panel included five Black jurors, four white jurors, two Hispanic jurors and one Asian juror. Most alternates were white.
However, in a private conversation with the court, he later admitted to having stayed in New Jersey with his girlfriend for several weeks. He said he still spent most weekdays in New York.