The judge presiding over the A$AP Rocky case reacted to the rapper's ongoing trial on Thursday, as the jurist's wife and daughters were also at the courthouse.
"Boy, I'm glad this one is almost over," Judge Mark S. Arnold said in the lobby of the Los Angeles court, according to an X post by journalist Meghann Cuniff.
Why It Matters
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, 36, is accused of shooting at former friend and collaborator Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, in Hollywood in 2021. Mayers has pleaded not guilty.
Mayers is dating iconic singer Rihanna, with whom he shares two children. Rihanna and their children attended proceedings on Thursday.
What To Know
Closing arguments were presented in the trial on Thursday. Prosecutor Paul Przelomiec said this is "a very simple case."
"That man decided, for whatever reason, that he was going to settle his dispute with Mr. Ephron that night with a gun, that he was going to do that in the middle of Hollywood and that he was going to fire his gun, not once, but twice," Przelomiec said to the jury.
The defense has argued that Mayers was using a prop gun. "There's definitely a lot less evidence of a real gun in this case than a prop gun. The facts scream out that it's impossible for what he had that night to be a real gun," Joe Tacopina, Mayers' lawyer, said in his closing argument.
What Was A$AP Rocky's Plea Deal?
Mayers turned down a plea deal from the prosecution on January 21. If he had agreed to plead guilty to one of the felony charges, he would have served 180 days in jail and a seven-year suspended sentence, with three years' probation.
Why Is A$AP Rocky on Trial?
Mayers is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
What People Are Saying
Tacopina, in his closing argument: "Their only witness in this case committed perjury again and again and again in this court."
Przelomiec, in his closing argument: "There's only one important question in this case, one critical question that you have to answer. And that is: did Mr. Mayers, the man at the table, did he use a real gun or did he use a fake gun?"
What Happens Next
After closing arguments, the jury will begin deliberations. Mayers faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted of both charges.
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About the writer
Jenna Sundel is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. She has in-depth ... Read more