A$AP Rocky turns down plea deal as trial for allegedly firing gun at former friend starts
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The 36-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm as jury selection gets underway in Los Angeles. A$AP Rocky turned down a plea deal of 180 days in prison as jury selection began at his trial Tuesday where the rapper is accused of firing a gun at a former friend and collaborator.
The “Pretty Flacko” musician (real name Rakim Mayers) could face decades in prison if convicted. The 36-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and his attorney says the rapper committed no crime.
The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor is the longtime partner of Rihanna, and the two have two young sons together. It has not been confirmed whether Rihanna will appear to support him in court, but his attorney has suggested it’s unlikely.
Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended with a conviction that could lead to a sentence of up to 24 years if jurors find him guilty of shooting at his former friend in Hollywood in 2021.
Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said he intends to seat a jury quickly and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors. “I will let the jurors know that regardless of who a defendant is, whether they’re the richest person in the world or the poorest person, everybody is to be treated the same,” he said at a pretrial hearing.
