Overview

• The 41-year-old juror was excused for lack of candor after giving conflicting accounts of living in the Bronx and New Jersey, which could have made him ineligible under Southern District rules.
• Judge Arun Subramanian emphasized that the decision rested solely on honesty concerns and stated that race did not influence the juror’s removal.
• Combs’s defense team filed a letter demanding a mistrial, contending that dismissing a Black juror compromises the fairness and diversity of the panel.
• The removed juror was replaced by a 57-year-old white male alternate from Westchester County, restoring the jury to twelve members for ongoing proceedings.
• Prosecutors plan to conclude their case this week after presenting witness testimony about alleged drug-fueled sexual performances that Combs’s attorneys maintain were consensual.