Judge Tells Diddy Trial Jury To Keep Deliberating Despite Concerns Over 1 Juror

Jurors deliberating over five federal criminal charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs returned a note to the courtroom after only two hours, telling the judge they were worried that one juror “cannot follow your honor’s instructions.”

Jurors at Diddy’s trial deliberated for about two hours before returning a note to the court.

2018 Invision

Key Facts

“We have a juror, No. 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor’s instructions,” the note to Judge Arun Subramanian from the jury’s foreman reportedly read.

The note was also viewed by prosecutors, defense attorneys and Diddy after all parties returned to the courtroom.

“I remind every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law,” Subramanian wrote in a response to the jury after receiving the note, instructing the jurors to “please continue deliberating,” according to a copy viewed by CNN.

The jury returned with another note to the judge around 5 p.m. EDT, which Subramanian said he would address when the jury reconvened tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

Could This Impact The Prosecution?

Mark Zauderer, a trial and appellate lawyer and partner at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP, told Forbes it was fairly common for jurors to ask questions about jury instructions, and Subramanian’s response to the jury was expected. “Judges are reluctant to provide their own explanations of what a jury instruction means beyond the actual words of the instructions, because if there is a conviction and on appeal, the appellate court finds that the interpretation of the instruction given by the judge was wrong, it could be a ground for overturning the conviction,” Zauderer said. “That can be very frustrating to jurors, but to be safe, a judge will often simply repeat the instructions.” He noted that this incident could blow over if the jury moves on without requesting more intervention from the judge. “I think whether this is a problem remains to be seen. If this is the end of it and there are no more attempts to bring the judge into this situation that’s being complained of, we’ll never know any more about it,” Zauderer said, adding that “judges are not quick to inquire what’s going on in a jury room unless they have no choice.” Zauderer also cautioned trial observers not to read too much into notes from the jury. “We really don’t know what’s being talked about in the jury room, nor do we have any clear picture of the dynamics that are guiding the jurors’ discussions,” he said.

Surprising Fact

The jury consists of eight men and four women. Juror No. 25 is a 51-year-old man with a Ph.D. in molecular biology and neuroscience, Reuters reported. He is a veterinarian who lives in Manhattan with his partner, a freelance graphic designer, the juror said during the jury selection phase.

Could An Alternate Juror Step In?

Subramanian excused the five alternate jurors from the courthouse Monday morning, but asked them to remain reachable in case they were needed. Zauderer said it was still possible Subramanian could move to replace Juror No. 25 at this stage of the trial. “The judge could interview the juror in question, but I think would do so only reluctantly because he would want to be careful not to interfere with the decision making process,” he told Forbes. Zauderer said the judge would most likely try to determine if the juror could follow the instructions without learning his views on the case.

Key Background

Diddy was indicted on five federal charges in September 2024, including two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering. Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges. His closely-watched trial began in May at the federal district courthouse in Manhattan. Witnesses for the prosecution included his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who detailed years of physical abuse and forced sexual performances at his notorious “freak off” parties. Rapper Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, who began dating Cassie after her split with Diddy, also testified as a witness for the prosecution. Cudi told the court that he believed Diddy broke into his house and “had something to do with” his car exploding in his drive in his driveway, but prosecutors eventually abandoned the theory last week to streamline the instructions for the jury. Diddy did not take the stand himself, which would have opened him up to cross-examination by federal prosecutors.

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