LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky turned down a remaining prosecution plea provide of 180 days in jail and can face the potential of a responsible verdict and years in jail as jury choice started at his trial on Tuesday.
The settlement provided to the 36-year-old hip-hop star, vogue mogul and actor whose authorized title is Rakim Mayers was to plead responsible to certainly one of his two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Los Angeles County prosecutors would additionally advocate a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and the six-month jail time period.
However Rocky instructed a decide he respectfully declined.
He’s accused of firing at a former buddy close to a Hollywood lodge in 2021, and will get a most sentence of 24 years in jail if convicted. He has pleaded not responsible.
Rocky’s legal professional Joe Tacopina additionally revealed in courtroom Tuesday that the protection plans to name witnesses to testify {that a} firearm seen on a safety video is a “starter pistol” that Rocky carried as a prop for safety functions. The technique had not been aired at pretrial hearings.
A panel of greater than 100 potential jurors have been summoned to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom and packed into the gallery. Opening statements will come as soon as 12 of them and alternates are seated, probably Wednesday or later.
The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, vogue mogul and actor whose authorized title is Rakim Mayers is the longtime companion of Rihanna, and the 2 have two toddler sons collectively. It’s not totally clear whether or not Rihanna will seem to assist him at any level in courtroom, however his legal professional has advised it’s unlikely. She didn’t attend Tuesday’s proceedings.
Rocky has been named one of many movie star chairs of the Met Gala in Could, and has a serious function in a Spike Lee-directed movie with Denzel Washington to be launched quickly after. However his life might be upended with a conviction.
Superior Courtroom Choose Mark Arnold has mentioned he plans to seat a jury rapidly, and is retaining strict limits on how lengthy attorneys can query potential jurors.
“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer. His stage name is A$AP rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna,” Arnold instructed the potential jurors. As a result of Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a star, that can’t hurt him, and it can not profit him.”
The decide is permitting media cameras in courtroom for the complete trial after a jury is chosen.
In 2023, one other decide dominated after a preliminary listening to that Rocky ought to stand trial for allegedly firing a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood buddy who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud got here to a head on the evening of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.
