A$AP Rocky Trial Update: Lawyer Reveals Defense, Witnesses

A$AP Rocky declined a plea deal in his felony assault case and is proceeding to trial, with jury selection beginning Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The rapper's high-profile attorney Joe Tacopina also revealed details of their defense in the trial that is expected to last three weeks, and feature visits by A$AP Rocky's 36-year-old girlfriend Rihanna.

Why Is A$AP Rocky on Trial?

A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, is pleading not guilty two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The charges stem from a November 2021 incident in Hollywood, where A$AP Rocky allegedly fired a gun at former friend and fellow A$AP Mob member, Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli.

Camille Vasquez, the attorney who attracted worldwide fame for representing Johnny Depp in his defamation case against Amber Heard, is representing A$AP Relli in this case. If convicted on all charges, A$AP Rocky could get up to 24 years in prison.

A$AP Rocky Denies Plea Deal

Prosecutors offered A$AP Rocky one last plea deal in court Tuesday. If he were to plead guilty to Count 1, they would have asked that the Fashion Killa rapper receive 180 days in county jail with three years probation and a seven-year suspended prison sentence.

"I respectfully decline, thank you," A$AP Rocky said, according to Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon.

Tacopina told the court last week that A$AP Rocky was not interested in taking a plea deal.

A$AP Rocky's Defense

Tacopina, once hired by President Donald Trump in his hush money case, said Tuesday that the defense plans to call two witnesses.

The witnesses will say that the gun A$AP Rocky is seen holding in video surveillance footage of the alleged shooting is a prop gun that he carries for security purposes, Dillion reports.

Was Rihanna in Court For A$AP Rocky's Trial?

Rihanna was not in court on Tuesday for the first day of her longtime boyfriend's trial. The pair, who have been dating since about 2020, share sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1.

What People Are Saying

Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold during a pretrial hearing last week: "I will let the jurors know that regardless of who a defendant is, whether they're the richest person in the world or the poorest person, everybody is to be treated the same."

Tacopina to reporters last week: "This case is not about Rihanna. But I guess the D.A. [District Attorney] wants to make sure people aren't so enamored with Rihanna they're going to be so blinded by their love for Rihanna they won't listen to the evidence and facts of this case. I don't think that's the case. I think people are too smart for that. But I guess they're worried about it. They want to make sure she's classified in [a certain] way."

Attorney Gloria Allred to Newsweek: "Although jurors are instructed by the judge to consider only the evidence admitted by the court, it is human nature for many jurors to look at a celebrity sitting in the courtroom.

"Even though jurors should not take those facts into consideration and even if jurors state that they will not consider that, some jurors will not be able to ignore it."

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