A$AP Rocky rejects plea deal as his gun trial opens in Los Angeles

A$AP Rocky has rejected his ultimate prosecution plea provide of 180 days in jail and now faces a chance of a responsible verdict as his firearm assault trial begins in Los Angeles.

Because the Associated Press stories, the rapper – actual identify Rakim Mayers – the plea deal was given to the rapper if he had been to plead responsible to one in all his two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

The outlet stories that Los Angeles County prosecutors would additionally advocate a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and a six-month jail time period. Nevertheless, A$AP Rocky denied the plea when his trial started this week.

The 36-year-old rapper is accused of firing a gun at a former pal close to a Hollywood lodge in 2021, and will get given as much as 24 years in jail if he’s discovered responsible and convicted.

Greater than 100 potential jurors had been summoned to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom immediately (January 21), and the opening statements will come as soon as 12 of them are seated – which in keeping with AP is probably to be Wednesday (January 22) or later. Superior Court docket Decide Mark Arnold confirmed he plans to seat a jury as rapidly as potential.

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

Rocky’s legal professional Joe Tacopina mentioned the protection plans to name witnesses to testify {that a} firearm seen on a safety video is a “starter pistol” which the rapper carries round as a prop, nonetheless, this was not mentioned at pretrial hearings.

The choice to make A$AP Rocky stand trial for allegedly firing a gun at his former pal and collaborator, Terell Ephron, was made in 2023.

Prosecutors in that trial mentioned Rocky pointed and fired a handgun at Ephron on the road close to the W Resort Hollywood in November 2021, after being “lured” there to debate a disagreement.

Ephron, who was a part of A$AP Mob beneath the stage identify A$AP Relli alongside A$AP Rocky, additionally alleges individually that he’s the sufferer of assault and battery, negligence and emotional misery, in keeping with BBC.

Within the preliminary listening to, the rapper pleaded not responsible to 2 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.