Diddy jury setback could indicate a 'stealth juror,' might signal major advantage for defense: expert
Legal experts warn of complex jury instructions as deliberations in the Diddy trial began Monday in Manhattan federal court
By Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald Fox News
Published June 30, 2025 5:00am EDT | Updated June 30, 2025 2:45pm EDT
Jurors in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial began deliberations Monday.
The jury sent two notes to the court throughout the five and a half hours of deliberations. Right before the end of the court day, the jury asked for clarification regarding the alleged distribution of drugs. "If a recipient asks for a controlled substance, and another person hands it over to them, are they distributing?" The judge told the court that the jury would be given an answer on Tuesday.
The first note from the jury claimed one juror could not follow Judge Arun Subramanian's instructions. The issue during the first day of deliberations could signal a "stealth juror" leading to the possibility of jury nullification, a legal expert told Fox News Digital.
"A juror who ‘cannot follow your honor’s instructions’ is a potential stealth juror and we’re looking at the possibility of jury nullification," former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital. "Judge Subramanian can admonish the juror, but if they still refuse to follow instructions, his only real options are to dismiss the juror under Rules 23 and 24 and replace them with an alternate, but that will create an appellate issue, or declare a mistrial and we’ll have to start all over. The defense has to be feeling good right now."
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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/diddy-jury-begins-deliberations-sex-trafficking-racketeering-trial
