Rapper A$AP Rocky (Rakim Mayers) pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, opting to proceed to trial on two felony assault charges. The decision means the 36-year-old faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
On Tuesday, Mayers turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail and will face the possibility of a guilty verdict and years in prison as jury selection began at his trial.
He sat quietly as his lawyer said for the first time that the “Fashion Killa” rapper was only carrying a “prop gun,” not a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
The plea deal offered by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office included a guilty plea to one of the two assault charges, a suspended seven-year prison sentence, three years of probation, and six months in jail. However, Rocky declined the offer, stating, “I respectfully decline.”
The charges stem from a November 2021 incident involving Rocky and his former friend, A$AP Relli (Terell Ephron). Relli alleges that Rocky fired a gun at him during an argument in Hollywood. Rocky has denied the allegations.
If convicted, Mayers could face 24 months of incarceration.
Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, expressed confidence in his client’s acquittal. “He is not willing to take anything the prosecution is pushing, even though he is up against a possible 24-year sentence if found guilty,” Tacopina said. “He’s eager to tell his story.”
“I’m confident in knowing that he will be vindicated,” said Tacopina. “You know, this is a burden for him and his family, his two young children … And he’s ready. He’s ready to face this head on.”
Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold has stated he plans to seat a jury quickly, and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors.
A$AP Rocky name and brand “cannot benefit him”
“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer. His stage name is A$AP Rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna,” Arnold told the prospective jurors. Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, “that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him,” said Arnold.
In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial for allegedly firing a gun at Terell Ephron, the childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.
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