Prosecutors want juror removed from Diddy trial, citing 'lack of candor'
The trial involving Sean "Diddy" Combs continues to take new twists and turns on a daily basis, and according to the latest reports, there could be a credibility issue on the jury.
According to Fox News, on the 21st day of the dramatic Diddy trial, an issue with a juror complicated the situation. Some say this could be significant, as it could ultimately result in a mistrial down the road.
The issue involves the governments request to remove a Black juror from the jury, citing a "lack of candor," and the defense is now able to submit a letter to the judge before the judge decides on whether or not to remove the juror.
At issue is the possiblity that the juror lied to get on to the jury in an effort to presumably help the defense.
What's going on?
New York attorney Nicole Brenecki explained to Fox News what's happening in the trial with the juror dismissal attempt and what it will likely mean moving forward.
"Every time that we engage in a jury trial, there's a process called voir dire, which is a process that both attorneys engage in, under the supervision of a judge, where the attorneys have an opportunity to question the potential jurors and ask them questions to make sure that they are not biased, that they're truthful, and that they are capable of adjudicating this case on its facts and not based on their individual biases or prejudice or whatever," she said.
She then explained what the government likely meant by claiming there was a "lack of candor" on the juror's part.
"If there's a letter discussing lack of candor, that means that maybe that juror just wanted to be on the jury because it's a high-profile case or because it involves a celebrity or perhaps for other personal reasons, but the lack of candor has to go to the fact that that juror potentially is biased in one way or another."
Not surprisingly, Diddy's lawyers immediately shot down the request to have the juror removed, leaving it up to the judge to make a final decision.
"We object to ask Juror No. 6 being stricken, and I understand the colloquy is under seal, so I don't want to explain further on the record now, but if the government is going to put in a letter … we'd like the opportunity to be heard either in writing or tomorrow morning," Diddy attorney Alexandra Shapiro stated to the court.
Conclusion coming soon
The judge overseeing the case assured the court that all sides will be heard before a decision is made.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani also explained what could happen as a result of having a potentially "tainted" jury.
"The big news of the day is that the judge is considering removing Juror 6 for lack of candor. That means he lied, in layman’s terms. … This request was made by the prosecution, and the defense is trying to keep him on. For what it’s worth, Juror 6 is a Black male and a '90s hip-hop fan," Rahmani said.
It'll be interesting to see if the juror is ultimately removed from the high-profile case.