Rapper A$AP Rocky rejected a final plea deal offer of 180 days in the county jail as his trial began in Los Angeles.
A Los Angeles prosecutor offered Rocky a deal to plead guilty to one of his 2 felony assault charges. But Rocky said no thanks.
Rocky faces a maximum of 24 years in prison if found guilty on both felony charges.
During a break in the trial, the L.A. prosecutor was overheard telling Rocky’s mom, “He should have taken the plea deal.”
Rocky (real name Rakim Meyers) is accused of firing a gun at his former friend, retired rapper A$AP Relli outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
Rocky pleaded not guilty to 2 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
During a preliminary hearing in 2023, the prosecution presented video footage that shows Rocky and Relli in a heated confrontation in a parking garage.
Rocky is seen in the video holding a gun behind his back. The rapper is alleged to have fired the gun at Relli as he ran away. Relli later testified that a bullet grazed his knuckles.
Rocky’s attorney Joe Tacopina said the video surveillance showed Rocky carrying a starter pistol that he used as a prop gun for security reasons.
A witness will testify that Rocky had a starter pistol during the street fight in 2021.
But Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin said Rocky’s lawyer never mentioned the starter pistol during earlier hearings. Lewin said the “brand new defense” was based on a witness they have “never been able to talk to.”
12 jurors will be selected from a jury pool of 106 people. Reverend Al Sharpton says there are only four Black people in the jury pool. He said Rocky won’t get a fair trial.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will not be fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” Sharpton said in a statement.
“He deserves to be judged fairly by his peers, as is his Constitutional right,” he added.
The trial is expected to last three weeks. Rocky’s longtime girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna won’t attend the trial. She is in New York with the couple’s 2 toddler sons, RZA and Riot Rose.
