A$AP Rocky was acquitted of all prices in his assault trial after jurors deliberated for only one full day.
A$AP Rocky walked out of a Los Angeles courtroom with a brand new lease on life Tuesday (February 18) after a jury cleared him of all prices in his high-profile assault trial. Rocky, wanting noticeably relieved, addressed the court docket and thanked everybody for “saving” his life.
The decision got here after simply someday of deliberations, ending a authorized battle that would have put the rapper behind bars for greater than twenty years.
The jury, composed of seven ladies and 5 males, discovered Rocky not responsible on two felony counts of assault with a firearm associated to an alleged 2021 capturing involving his former good friend Terell Ephron, often known as A$AP Relli.
All through the trial, prosecutors argued that Rocky fired a gun throughout a heated confrontation, whereas his protection insisted the weapon in query was merely a prop used for a music video.
Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, declined a plea deal that may have included 180 days in jail, opting as an alternative to take his probabilities in court docket. The trial lasted roughly three weeks and featured moments of drama, surprising testimony and a few humor as either side tried to sway the jury.
Throughout closing arguments, the prosecution insisted the case was easy, telling jurors that in the event that they decided it wasn’t a prop gun, their choice ought to take “5 minutes.”
“This case was actually a simple case, not an advanced case, a quite simple case…this can be a five-minute verdict,” District Lawyer Paul Bradley Przelomiec informed the jury throughout closing arguments—they usually clearly disagreed.
One obtrusive omission within the trial was the truth that neither the prosecution nor protection produced an precise gun as proof, leaving the jury to weigh conflicting testimony with no bodily weapon to examine.
Rocky’s accomplice, Rihanna, attended a lot of the trial, and for the closing arguments, she introduced their two younger sons. She was additionally on deck when the verdicts have been learn.
The courtroom dynamic prompted a warning from prosecutors, who warned jurors to not let sympathy for the singer and her youngsters affect their choice.
Along with his authorized troubles behind him, Rocky will presumably flip his focus to his upcoming headlining set at Rolling Loud on March 15 in Inglewood, California.
