Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Defense Doesn't 'Have a Strong Case' to Call for Mistrial After Challenging Dismissal of Juror No. 6, Expert Explains

Sean "Diddy" Combs' defense has tried at least three times to request a mistrial as their client continues to be prosecuted on trafficking, racketeering and prostitution-related charges.

All attempts have been declined, however, with the disgraced rapper's attorneys most recent argument involving Judge Arun Subramanian's official dismissal of juror No. 6 — a 41-year-old Black male whose removal sparked concerns about potential racial bias within the jury.

When it comes to juror No. 6 receiving the boot, jury consultant Robert Swafford tells OK! Combs' defense doesn't seem to stand a chance if they continue to use the man's dismissal as a reason for a mistrial.

"Because the defense team had the opportunity to question the alternates during jury selection and use peremptory strikes on them if necessary, in my opinion they do not have a strong case to call for a mistrial based on Juror 6 being removed," the founder of Strike for Cause Jury Consulting explains.

While the individual was kicked out of court, he likely won't face any legal consequence despite being accused of providing conflicting information about where he lived.

Juror No. 6 was selected for the trial under the impression he lived in the Bronx, though he later mentioned sleeping at his girlfriend's home in New Jersey on most nights.

"In severe cases of juror misconduct, jurors can be held in contempt of court or even face criminal charges," Swafford notes. "In my opinion, based on the reports I've reviewed, the dismissed juror's misconduct didn't rise to that severe level where a judge would be likely to impose consequences."

In a case like one as high-profile as Combs', it could be difficult to weed out individuals with prior knowledge or potential bias of the subject matter — considering it's been a heavy topic of reporting in the mainstream media and involves one of the top faces in the music industry.

While "it's not possible to be 100 percent certain jurors don't have knowledge of the case before being selected, because people are not always truthful, attorneys and the judge will do their best during voir dire (preliminary examination) to identify anyone who has knowledge," says Swafford, who worked on jury selection for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' defamation trial in 2022.

Swafford continues: "Good voir dire questions can go a long way to identifying anyone inappropriate, as can a well-written supplemental questionnaire that the potential jurors fill out before jury selection."

"In some cases, attorneys might hire social media investigators to review potential jurors' online presence for red flags," he concludes.