Diddy trial update: Jury presses judge on drug distribution detail in latest trial note

Sean Diddy Combs' trial for sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution is in its final stage, and members of the jury are dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s. Members of the jury asked Judge Arun Subramanian to clarify one detail in the case regarding the distribution of illegal substances.

The music mogul has been on trial for six weeks now, with the prosecution inviting 34 witnesses to testify against the accused, some of them being Cassandra Ventura and Jane, his former girlfriends. Sean Diddy Combs did not testify in his defence, nor did the defence team call any witnesses from their end.

According to a TMZ report, the jury sent a note to Judge Subramanian with a question about the racketeering count. The note read:

”If an individual asks for a controlled substance and the person hands it over, it is distribution?"

Both the prosecution and defense are keen on giving explanations to the jury on the issue. Attorney Maureen Comey, who gave the rebuttal to the defence’s closing address for the prosecution, told Judge Subramanian that she thinks the answer to the question on racketeering was in the affirmative.

Marc Agnifilo, lead defence attorney, however, stated that he needed more time to discuss with his team. Judge Subramanian directed the attorneys to confer and have an answer ready for the next court meeting.

The judge told jurors to reconvene in the courtroom the next day to get answers to their questions, adding that they'd skip the courtroom for jury room deliberations at 9 AM sharp.

A jury member in Sean Diddy Combs' trial didn't follow the judge’s instructions

After Judge Arun Subramanian handed Sean Diddy Combs’ case over to the jury for deliberations, a note was sent over to the former that a jury member was refusing to follow his instructions. The note stated that the team was worried that Juror No. 3 was refusing to act according to the judge’s instructions.

Judge Subramanian consulted with the defence and prosecution on the matter and decided to send a note back to the jurors, reminding them of their legal obligations to arrive at a verdict. Earlier in the trial, a juror was replaced after discrepancies were found in his place of residence.

He told the court initially that he resided in the Bronx before making remarks about living in New Jersey, a place outside the jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York. After the juror was replaced by an alternate who had been sitting through the trial, the judge dismissed the other alternates before the June 30 deliberations.

Sean Diddy Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He faces a maximum of life imprisonment if he is found guilty of the charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

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