A$AP Rocky was acquitted of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm after a nearly four-week trial in Los Angeles. The decision was made on Tuesday after the case was sent to the jury on Friday, with no deliberations on Monday due to President’s Day. The courtroom erupted in cheers as the verdict was read, with the rapper expressing gratitude and relief. Rocky had been charged in 2022 following a 2021 altercation with his childhood friend A$AP Relli, who accused him of shooting him outside a Hollywood parking garage. Rocky faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted but denied all allegations.
After the verdict, Rocky, his attorney Joe Tacopina, and his wife Rihanna addressed the media outside the courthouse, expressing thanks to the jury for seeing through the case. Tacopina called for the prosecution of Rocky’s accuser, A$AP Relli, for perjury and extortion. The legal team argued that the weapon Relli claimed Rocky used was a prop gun for security. The trial included heated exchanges between the defense and prosecution, with Relli’s credibility being questioned.
Despite being offered a plea deal that included a 180-day jail term, Rocky turned it down, insisting on his innocence. The trial had focused on the lack of physical evidence of a shooting at the alleged scene and conflicting accounts of the incident. The legal team maintained that Rocky was innocent and that the extortion and perjury by Relli were evident during the trial. Rocky celebrated his acquittal with his family and legal team, expressing gratitude for the verdict and relief at being cleared of the charges. “I have doubts about the strength of the prosecution’s evidence. It’s always a risk when you have the opportunity to defend yourself in front of a jury and let them determine your fate. It can be quite risky.”
Rihanna, who has two children with Rocky, has shown her support by attending court with him on multiple occasions, even sitting alongside his mother and sister during her first appearance last month.
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