Controversial hip hop star Diddy’s federal jury in NYC has brought a twist as the judge has just dismissed a juror after hearing more than three weeks of testimony via TMZ.
Judge Arun Subramanian has dismissed Juror Number 6 Monday morning after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the defense regarding where the juror lives.
The jury was out of the room on Friday but the judge explained he went back to the voir dire portion of the trial and found this juror had said at different times that he lives in the Bronx, at other times in New Jersey.
The judge added the court has alternate jurors for a reason and there’s no point in keeping one around with so many question marks attached.
The alternate juror replacing Number 6 is a 57-year-old Westchester County resident.
Friday, Diddy’s attorney Xavier Donaldson stood up and stated that the court was taking a big step backward by getting rid of a juror of color … asking the judge to bring him back into the court to give him the chance to explain.
During the jury selection phase, Juror No. 6 noted that he was a 41-year-old Black Hispanic man who works for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. One of the main reasons the defense said they didn’t want him dismissed is that he’s one of the few Black jurors.
He’s the head accountant clerk at Edgecombe Correctional Facility, a prison in Upper Manhattan. He told the court he processes payroll for corrections guards.
Juror No. 6 had his share of legal troubles prior to the trial. He sued and later settled with the Port Authority after allegedly injuring his back on an escalator. Additionally, he mentioned that he was arrested for insurance fraud related to a doctor’s appointment following a car accident.
Although he lives in the Bronx, Juror No. 6 is not a fan of the New York Yankees; instead, he supports the New York Mets. He enjoys reggaeton music and ’90s hip hop.
