The trial for the star rapper A$AP Rocky, who is accused of firing a gun at a former friend in a November 2021 incident, kicked off in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Friday.
The proceedings come a year after the rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. On Tuesday A$AP Rocky, 36, declined a plea offer from prosecutors who recommended a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and 180 days in jail in exchange for a guilty plea.
If convicted, the artist could face up to 24 years in prison.
This trial is the culmination of a three-year legal saga that stems from an alleged altercation between A$AP Rocky and Terell Ephron.
Ephron, who says he and A$AP Rocky are childhood friends, has accused A$AP Rocky of pulling a gun on him during a standoff in Hollywood on 6 November 2021. He alleges A$AP Rocky fired shots that grazed his knuckles in a later confrontation.
A$AP Rocky has maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.
His attorney, Joe Tacopina, said in court on Tuesday that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video is a “starter pistol” that the artist carried as a prop for security purposes. The strategy had not been aired at pre-trial hearings.
The defense plans to paint Ephron as a money seeker and point out he has sued Rocky in civil court, seeking financial damages for the incident.
“He’s the witness that this case will rise and fall on, for sure,” Tacopina said after a recent pre-trial hearing. “Whether he’s a star is something that remains to be seen.
“There’s jealousy obviously and he’s made that clear. He became a hater,” Tacopina said. “This is in large part about money, money, money.”
The defense and prosecution spoke to more than 100 jurors ahead of the three-week trial. Potential jurors were asked whether they had negative feelings toward hip-hop, guns or even people from New York. They were also asked whether A$AP Rocky and his longtime partner Rihanna’s celebrity would affect their judgment.
