A$AP Rocky is dealing with trial for 2 counts of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The well-known rapper has been accused of firing a handgun at former pal and collaborator A$AP Relli outdoors a Hollywood lodge again in 2021. Whereas Rocky has maintained his innocence, a choose selected November 20, 2023 that there was sufficient proof for the case to maneuver ahead. At a listening to on January 8, 2024, he pleaded not responsible to each counts within the case. His trial formally started on October 21, 2024.
Right here is every thing it’s good to find out about Rocky’s assault case.
What Did A$AP Rocky Allegedly Do?
On November 6, 2021, Rocky (actual title Rakim Mayers) allegedly bought right into a “heated dialogue” with Relli (actual title Terell Ephron), a childhood pal, outdoors the W Resort in West Hollywood, California. Rihanna‘s boyfriend allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired it at Relli, earlier than fleeing the scene.
“He grabbed me on my collar. He was shaking me. I attempted to push him off, get his fingers off,” Relli recalled within the courtroom on November 20, 2023, per PEOPLE. “That’s when [Rocky] pulled a gun from his waistband. It was a typical clip and a semi-automatic black gun. He pointed it towards my abdomen.” Relli alleged that Rocky instructed him, “I’ll kill you proper now,” earlier than he allegedly shot him from 16 toes away.
Relli claimed he suffered minor injures that he confirmed images of within the courtroom on November 20. He stated an hour after the taking pictures, he returned to the scene to retrieve two 9mm shell casings. Relli defined in court docket that he waited two days to name 911 to report the incident, which was reportedly caught on close by surveillance cameras.
What Is A$AP Rocky Being Charged With?
Over 5 months after the taking pictures, Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport on April 20, 2022, however was launched on $550,000 bail simply hours later. On the time, Rocky was coming house from Barbados the place he was on trip with Rihanna, with whom he now shares two kids.
Rocky was formally charged with two counts of assault with a firearm on August 15, 2022. Two days later, the “Reward the Lord” rapper pled not responsible to the fees in a Los Angeles court docket. Relli reportedly filed a separate civil lawsuit in opposition to Rocky for assault, battery, and emotional misery, based on PEOPLE. Relli is in search of $25,000 in damages and extra damages to cowl his medical payments.
“Defendant [Rocky] purposefully or with reckless disregard unlawfully brandished a firearm in the direction of the plaintiff [Relli],” the criticism from Relli’s lawyer filed reportedly states. “Additional, defendant purposefully or with reckless disregard triggered a bullet projectile/fragment to hit the plaintiff. In each situations, defendant’s conduct was illegal or in any other case excessive and outrageous.”
Rocky faces as much as 9 years in jail if he’s discovered responsible of the fees.
When Does A$AP Rocky’s Trial Start?
Rocky’s trial was introduced by Decide M.L. Villar throughout a preliminary listening to in L.A. on November 20, 2023. There have been a day and a half of testimonies from Rocky and Relli’s authorized groups earlier than the choose made his choice. Villar defined in court docket that the “totality of the video and testimony” confirmed there’s sufficient proof for the case to maneuver to trial, CBS Information reported.
On January 8, 2024, Rocky pleaded not responsible to gun prices, together with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The trial was set to start on October 21 of that yr, however a choose pushed it to January 21, 2025, his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, introduced.
“Issues have been moved, partly, as a result of Rocky has a profit live performance in Bangkok in late November, and partly as a result of we’re nonetheless coping with some points on discovery,” Tacopina instructed reporters, per PEOPLE. “All of us agree with Thanksgiving … and Christmas. I believe everybody determined it’s greatest to do that in January. It’s a agency date.”
What Has A$AP Rocky Mentioned Concerning the Case?
Rocky has professed his innocence by way of his authorized group within the assault case.
“We’re not dissatisfied, not shocked, we anticipated to go to trial, we’ve been planning for trial all alongside,” Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, stated outdoors the court docket on November 20, based on ABC Information. “Rocky goes to be vindicated when all that is stated and completed, with out query.”
Whereas chatting with reporters, Tacopina was additionally requested if Rocky may have Rihanna present as much as his trial. “He would by no means topic his household, he needs to defend them, he’s dealing with it like Rocky would deal with one thing, he protects his household,” Tacopina stated.
After pleading not responsible in court docket on January 8, 2024, Rocky’s lawyer gave an announcement to the media. “Now we have loads of proof that we have now a robust suspicion the prosecutors don’t find out about,” Tacopina stated outdoors the Los Angeles court docket.
