A$AP Rocky Assault Trial Underway in Downtown L.A. — Watch Reside

A$AP Rocky‘s felony assault trial received underway Friday morning … days after the Grammy-nominated rapper rejected a plea deal — and we’re stay streaming the entire thing. Rocky faces a possible 24-year jail sentence if he is discovered responsible. The trial broke for lunch, and is scheduled to return stay at 1:30 PM PT.

Rocky’s legal professional Joe Tacopina and prosecutor Paul Bradley began the morning off addressing the choose within the downtown L.A. courtroom earlier than the jury was seated.

The 2 sides had been arguing over proof associated to bullet casings — and, Choose Mark S. Arnold determined the protection is free to seek the advice of a firearms skilled on the courtroom’s dime … however, no proof was excluded. The choose dominated nothing the 2 attorneys argued about is allowed to be talked about of their opening statements, and the jury was then introduced in.

Rihanna was introduced up by prosecutors within the first jiffy of their opening assertion … with prosecutors sharing an image of Rocky and RiRi collectively at an occasion. As we instructed you, she was additionally talked about throughout jury choice.

The video — allegedly displaying A$AP Rocky allegedly beating up A$AP Relli — was performed in courtroom too … paused a number of occasions whereas the prosecutors named every individual within the clip for the jury.

They then confirmed one other clip which prosecutors declare present Rocky taking pictures at Relli twice … working round on the street and trying to goal round a fellow affiliate. Price noting, proseuctors launched all these movies in late 2023.

Tacopina gave his assertion as properly … claiming the entire case in opposition to A$AP Rocky is about A$AP Relli’s jealousy — explaining he plans to assault Relli’s credibility within the impending trial.

He provides that whereas Rocky has labored exhausting and turne dinto a self-made success, Relli solely pretends to stay a lavish life-style … and, the jury ought to contemplate the variations of their personalities.

Rocky’s success bred resentment in Relli, Tacopina claims … and, after Relli thought Rocky hadn’t lined the bills for a mates funeral, that resentment led to the eventual alleged violence.

A$AP Rocky — authorized identify Rakim Mayers — is accused of firing a gun at a former affiliate at a lodge in Hollywood in 2021. He was charged in 2022 with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

As we instructed you … Terell Ephron — AKA A$AP Relli, a part of the A$AP Mob — claims Rocky threatened to kill him earlier than the rapper allegedly pulled the set off the evening of the incident. Relli was handled on the time for a minor damage to his hand.

Prosecutors say Relli by no means feared for his life … even when Rocky allegedly pulled a gun on him. However, his view of the alleged confrontation with the rapped modified when he seen one other member of the A$AP collective, A$AP 12vvy, allegedly put away a pocketknife.

Jurors will hear about two different A$AP members on this trial, prosecutors say — A$AP Illz and A$AP Bari — who had been allegedly there on the evening in query.

Prosecutors shared photos of the 9-mm journal they allegedly discovered throughout their search, although they admit they did not discover a weapon. Tacopina says the weapon was a prop gun — a starter pistol — Rocky used for present.

In actual fact, Tacopina says despite the fact that Rocky was licensed to hold an actual gun, he selected to not for security causes … and, the explanation Relli wasn’t afraid of being shot is as a result of A$AP Relli knew it was a faux weapon meant to scare off potential attackers.

Tacopina claims cops could not discover any shell casings on the scene of the alleged taking pictures … however, Relli mentioned he did an hour alter when he returned to the scene — all in an effort to extort Rocky.

Within the plea deal Rocky rejected Tuesday, prosecutors supplied him 180 days in jail, a seven-year suspended sentence, and three years on probation, in alternate for a responsible plea to one of many expenses.

Tacopina instructed TMZ … except for the proposed plea cut price being a career-ender for his consumer, “He isn’t taking ANY PLEA, as a result of he has all the time maintained his innocence.”

Rocky pled not responsible to the fees in 2022 and was launched on bond. Police had raided Rocky’s dwelling in 2022 shortly after he received again from a visit to Barbados with Rihanna, the mom of his 2 sons.