Why did the jury complain against Juror 25? Legal expert explains why the "wildcard" move in Diddy's trial is "significant"
The jury deliberations on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ case started on June 30, 2025. The latest day of Diddy’s trial grabbed a lot of attention when the jury members approached Judge Arun Subramanian with a note referring to Juror 25. According to the New York Post, the note stated that the individual was unable to follow the judge’s instructions.
"We have a juror, Juror 25, who we believe cannot follow your honor's instructions," the note read.
Legal expert Alan Tuerkheimer described the juror as a “wild card” in a recent interview with CNN. Tuerkheimer opened up to the outlet about why the problem associated with Juror 25 was a significant move at a time when jury deliberations started, and said:
“There’s a wild card on this jury and that is significant. It happened incredibly quickly. There’s a lot of give and take, back and forth. Deliberations can get incredibly heated and that’s part of the process.”
According to TMZ, juror 25 has been identified as a 51-year-old male scientist from Manhattan. The juror holds a Ph.D in molecular biology and also has an academic background in veterinary science. The note from the jury reportedly claimed that the foreperson requested to speak to the judge or conduct an interview with Juror 25.
According to Forbes, Judge Arun Subramanian replied by writing that every juror must follow the “instruction on the law.” He further urged the jurors not to stop the deliberation.
Tuerkheimer told CNN that such kind of moves from the jurors at the beginning of the deliberation can turn out to be a headache. He additionally recalled that a juror had been dismissed in June 2025, and referred to what the judge might decide in the ongoing situation by saying:
“It’s really up to the judge to decide, ‘alright, I don’t know if this juror could continue to deliberate,’ but they’ve already started, so there’s already good grounds for any type of appeal by the defense should there be a conviction.”
Another juror was earlier dismissed from the Diddy trial due to concerns over his honesty
A report by NBC News on June 16, 2025, stated that Judge Arun Subramanian was concerned about a juror’s honesty, due to which he decided to dismiss the juror. The outlet stated that the juror was a black man, and Diddy’s legal team attempted to keep him on the panel by filing an appeal.
The jury consisted of 12 members, and Diddy’s lawyers argued in a letter that there were no valid reasons to dismiss the juror. The attorneys additionally referred to the U.S. government’s prosecution of Sean Combs by alleging that they attempted to “destroy” a successful Black man. The letter also reads:
“We believe that motive is supported not only by [the U.S. government’s] remarkable decision to use 7 of its 9 peremptory strikes on Black jurors but also by the history of the investigation and prosecution, which has been characterized by extreme government overreach from the beginning.”
The judge explained his reasons for dismissing the juror, saying that he was not able to accept the individual’s different responses about the place where he was residing. NBC News reported that a white man from Westchester County, Manhattan, was taking the place of the dismissed juror.
As of the latest updates from Diddy’s ongoing trial, the judge began reading out the counts of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution to the jury members on June 30, 2025.
The judge expressed gratitude to the alternate jurors, telling them they were no longer required to attend court during the main panel's deliberation. The jury was also instructed to select a foreperson and inform the court through a note when they reach a verdict.
