Diddy has yet again demanded a mistrial in his sex trafficking trial, this time if the court decides to remove a Black juror from the jury.
The Bad Boy Records founder and his legal team filed a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, claiming that the prosecution are attempting to remove the juror from the trial based on his race.
The prosecution are unhappy about the unnamed juror’s answers during a questionnaire to decide whether they can be an acceptable member of the jury.
The issue regarding the answers appears to relate to their residency rather than a knowledge about Diddy or anybody else involved in the trial that could mean they are biased.
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Diddy and his team have accused the prosecution of trying to “to take advantage of an opportunity to strike yet another black male from the jury.”
On Friday, the judge appeared to be leaning on the side of dismissing the juror but Diddy’s defense team argue that there is no justification to do so and may harm the chances of people of color in the future wanting to serve.
Diddy and his team have said they want a mistrial if the juror is dismissed.
It has been reported that five of the 12 jurors are Black while eight in total are people of color.
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Diddy’s own conduct towards jurors during the trial has gotten him into trouble.
Judge Arun Subramanian accused the rap mogul of making faces and nodding towards the jury while witnesses were being questioned.
Subramanian said to Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo: “Mr. Agnifilo, your client was looking at jurors and nodding vigorously. This can’t continue or I will give a limiting instruction you won’t like, or other measures including barring your client from the courtroom. Do you understand?”
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Agnifilo said: “It’s not going to happen again.”
Subramanian then warned: “This cannot happen again.”
Diddy is known to have been an active presence in the court room, frequently being seen passing notes to his attorneys while court is in session.
He has also been seen blowing kisses to his mother while she watches the trial from the public gallery.
