A$AP Rocky Rejects Plea Deal as Assault Trial Begins

Rapper A$AP Rocky, whose actual title is Rakim Mayers, appeared in court docket for the start of jury choice at his trial and rejected a plea deal from the prosecution.

The “Reward the Lord” crooner is accused of firing a weapon at his former buddy in 2021 and will withstand 24 years in jail if discovered responsible.

A$AP Rocky is in a relationship with singer and vogue mogul Rihanna. The pair share two sons, RZA and Riot.

On Tuesday, A$AP Rocky appeared in a court docket in downtown Los Angeles for jury choice in his prison assault trial.

In response to AP, he rejected a ultimate plea provide from the Los Angeles County prosecutors.

If the rapper had agreed to the deal, he would have pleaded responsible to considered one of two felony expenses towards him and needed to serve six months in jail with three years probation and a seven-year suspended sentence.

Nevertheless, A$AP Rocky and his authorized group turned down the provide, although his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, hinted at a key protection technique through the court docket proceedings.

Tacopina plans to argue that the firearm in query was a “starter pistol,” a non-lethal prop the rapper allegedly carried for safety functions.

Over 100 potential jurors have been summoned on the primary day of Rocky’s trial.

The presiding choose, Mark Arnold, shared his plans to seat a jury shortly, with opening statements anticipated to start as early as Wednesday.

Arnold can also be strictly limiting the time attorneys can query potential jurors.

Arnold advised the possible jurors, “Mr. Mayers is an entertainer. His title is A$AP Rocky. His life accomplice can also be an entertainer. Her title is Rihanna. As a result of Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a star, that can’t hurt him, and it can’t profit him.”

The choose can even permit media protection in court docket all through the trial’s period after jury choice.

The fees towards Rocky stem from an alleged altercation between him and his childhood buddy, Terell Ephron, on November 6, 2021.

Ephron claimed Rocky fired a gun at him amid a heated dispute close to a Hollywood resort. He additionally claimed that the bullets grazed his knuckles.

The incident reportedly marked the end result of a feud between Rocky and Ephron.

A preliminary listening to was held in November 2021, the place the then-presiding choose, M. L. Villar, dominated that there was sufficient proof for Rocky to face trial on the costs towards him.

Following Vilar’s ruling, Tacopina said, “We’re not upset, not stunned, we anticipated to go to trial, we have been planning for trial all alongside. Rocky goes to be vindicated when all that is mentioned and carried out, with out query.”

A$AP Rocky’s trial is coming at a time his profession is flourishing regardless of his authorized troubles.

He was named as one of many celeb chairs of the Met Gala in Might and can play a serious position in a soon-to-be-released Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington.

Nevertheless, if discovered responsible, his profession might get derailed, and there may very well be query marks about his achievements.

In the meantime, Rihanna has but to seem in court docket amid her accomplice’s trial. Her presence in court docket might result in much more consideration, however there’s a low probability of that occuring.

Tacopina indicated it’s unlikely for the “Umbrella” singer to make a court docket look, however their relationship has given the trial rather more media consideration.

In response to Radar Online, an insider mentioned Rihanna and Rocky had “began preventing on a regular basis as a result of he is simply obtained no persistence for something.”

The supply additionally mentioned that Rocky’s temper had turn into horrible, including that the couple’s intercourse life had deteriorated following his authorized troubles.

The insider claimed, “Earlier than this mess with the trial, they might hardly hold their off one another, however their intercourse life is nonexistent lately. They’re each simply too harassed.”

In response to the insider, Rihanna feared changing into a single mom if Rocky was convicted and needed to serve a prolonged jail time period. Therefore, the opportunity of that occuring “completely terrified” her.