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A$AP Rocky is ready to take his chances.
The Harlem rapper is currently embroiled in a case in which he allegedly shot Terell Ephron or A$AP Relli back in 2021 after a dispute.
Prosecutors offered him a plea deal where he’d agree to be guilty to one of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and receive a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation, and serve just six months in jail.
But Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, is willing to take his chances in court and refuses to accept the deal.
“I respectfully decline, thank you,” A$AP Rocky said, according to Rolling Stone.
Since deciding to go the jury route, Rocky now faces up to 24 years in prison if found guilty.
Now Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold is ready to proceed and seat a jury as soon as possible, even as many prospective ones have had their lives upended by the California wildfires.
“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer. His stage name is A$AP Rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna,” Arnold told them. “Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him.”
So far, about 12 jurors have been questioned, and 10 of them know who Rihanna is, while four said they know who Rocky is.
According to the Associated Press, Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina’s –who previously represented President Trump— line of questioning the potential jurors included their feelings towards rap music and whether they had a negative connotation for New Yorkers.
To defend his client, Tacopina plans to call witnesses to the stand to say that the gun seen on camera was a “starter pistol” that Rocky carries around as nothing more than a prop.
The “starter pistol” in question was seen in a video where Rocky appeared to approach Ephron at a parking garage near Hollywood Boulevard in 2021. Video shows the rapper pushing Ephron, with him claiming he pulled a gun on him, shoved it into his stomach, and threatened to kill him. Ephron says the gun went off three to four times, yet it’s not shown on security footage, making it harder to prove.
A start date for the trial has yet to begin.
See how social media is reacting to Rocky boldly turning down the plea deal below.
