The ongoing Diddy trial final lap hit a snag this week due to jurors being confused about instructions for deliberation.
We are finally in the final stretch of the 8-week-long trial. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is on trial in a New York federal court for racketeering, kidnapping, and sex trafficking. Charges that, if convicted, could see him spending decades in prison.
The prosecution and defense delivered their closing arguments last week, and the judge has since given his instructions to the jury and sent them off to deliberation. TMZ reported on Monday (June 30) that the dramatic development happened approximately an hour into the deliberation.
Judge Arun Subramanian was sent a note from the jury that “Juror 25” could not follow the instructions given to the panel. “We have received a note from the jury,” the judge said in court at around 1:15 PM EST. “We have a juror, Juror 25, who we believe cannot follow your honor’s instructions.”
It’s unclear exactly what aspect of the jury instructions the juror could not interpret or follow. However, the jury panel asked for a meeting with the judge to hash things out the issue with the instruction. The names of members of the jury are withheld from the public, but some background information about them is known.
Juror 25 is reportedly a 51-year-old gay man who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology. He also has a background in veterinary science, so we doubt the instructions are too complicated for him. Perhaps it’s just a small matter to be hashed out.
The judge sent a note back to the jury approximately 30 minutes later, emphasizing the importance of following his instructions on the law. He also instructs the jury to continue their deliberations. Prosecutors ask the judge to instruct jurors why “it is important not to include any information about what is going on in the jury room.”