Earlier this week, jury selection for ASAP Rocky's criminal assault trial finally began. Reportedly, the rapper appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles today where he rejected a plea deal. According to Meghann Cuniff, prosecutors offered Rocky a 180-day jail stint, three years probation, and a seven-year suspended prison sentence if he were to plead guilty to one assault charge. He's facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and if convicted, could spend up to 24 years in prison.
Cuniff provided a brief update on the case on X today, sharing some footage of ASAP Rocky entering the courthouse. According to her, his lawyer Joe Tacopina revealed in court yesterday that a witness plans to testify about a prop gun Rocky allegedly had at the time he's accused of shooting at ASAP Relli. Allegedly, this was never pointed at Relli, and only fired as a warning after he followed Rocky. Prosecutors took issue with the fact that Tacopina did not inform them of the prop gun defense until late Monday.
Prosecutors Call Prop Gun Defense A "Straight Ambush" Amid ASAP Rocky Trial
“This is a straight ambush,” Los Angeles County deputy district attorney John Lewin claimed. He also described this as a “brand-new defense," calling the witness someone they've “never been able to talk to.” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold said that any oral or written statements from potential witnesses must be disclosed at least 30 days ahead of trial. “I don’t think it’s fair that he waited until this long to disclose the starter pistol. I just don't believe that you’re playing fair,” he told Tacopina.
This latest update comes after Rocky's legal team complained about a lack of representation in the jury pool. Reportedly, out of 106 potential jurors, only five of them are Black. "We're in downtown Los Angeles. Not a small town in Montana. We're troubled by that to say the least," Tacopina said.
