A jury in Los Angeles has begun deliberating the fate of rapper A$AP Rocky, who is facing two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The defense argued Rocky only fired blanks from a prop gun, while the prosecution focused on inconsistencies in the testimony of the key witness, A$AP Relli.
A$AP Rocky's felony assault trial reached its climax on Friday as jurors deliberated his fate after a tense closing argument from the prosecution. The Los Angeles jury, comprised of seven women and five men, was tasked with deciding on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Jurors received the case late Friday afternoon and will begin their deliberations on Tuesday following a three-day weekend.
Throughout the three-week trial, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky's wife and a global singing superstar, was a frequent presence in the courtroom. However, for the first time, she brought their 2-year-old and 1-year-old sons to court during closing arguments. This raised questions from the prosecution, who urged the jury to disregard any emotional connection they might feel towards the family and focus solely on the facts presented.The defense, led by lawyer Joe Tacopina, argued that Rocky only fired blanks from a prop gun he had picked up for security during a music video shoot. Tacopina painted the prosecution's key witness, A$AP Relli, as an unreliable liar and aggressor, presenting text messages where Relli urged Rocky to fight him. These messages, deleted by Relli before the trial, were presented as evidence of Relli's instigation, contradicting the prosecution's claims that Rocky initiated the confrontation. Tacopina also highlighted inconsistencies in Relli's testimony, claiming he initially denied sending the messages but later admitted to them. He further argued that even if the jury didn't believe the prop gun defense, they could still acquit Rocky if they found he acted in self-defense or defense of his friends during the altercation
A$AP Rocky Trial Assault Jury Rihanna Music Video Prop Gun Self-Defense
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