BREAKING NEWSA$AP Rocky Found Not Guilty in Felony Assault Case as He Gets Emotional Over Verdict
A$AP Rocky got emotional as he was found not guilty.
A verdict was reached in rapper A$AP Rocky’s felony assault trial on February 18, as he was found not guilty.
A$AP Rocky faced significant jail time if he'd been found guilty.
Deliberations over the verdict began the morning of February 18, and jurors made a decision mere hours later.
As those who have been following the trial know, A$AP Rocky — whose government name is Rakim Mayers — was accused of shooting two shots at his former childhood friend Terell Ephron in 2021 on a corner of a Hollywood street.
Prosecutors claimed this was assault, with Ephron alleging his knuckles were “grazed” by one of the shots. He attested that he was not seriously injured during the ordeal.
The judge asked the jury to not let A$AP Rocky or Rihanna's notoriety influence their decision.
A$AP Rocky’s defense attested this was a “warning shot” fired off by a fake gun he picked up from a music video shoot. His legal team also claimed there was never any real bullets in the gun.
Although Ephron entered two shell casings as evidence into the case, no gun was submitted as evidence, and the footage from the event was too hard for the jury to accurately see what occurred. Due to this, their sole decision was based on the testimonies of the parties.
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Rihanna showed up to the court multiple times to support her man.
Since A$AP Rocky is a famous rapper — and his partner, Rihanna, is even more well-known — Judge Mark Arnold asked jurors to not let their opinions of the pair influence their decision. The Associated Press noted they were also instructed they could find A$AP Rocky “not guilty” if they felt what he did was an act of self-defense.
Due to the situation, the “Everyday” singer faced two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Although he pleaded not guilty from the start of the trial, if he had been found guilty, he could have faced up to 24 years in prison. Prior to the trial beginning, he was offered a plea deal of 180 days in jail that he turned down.
A$AP Rocky thanked the court for saving his life.
After the verdict was read, applause erupted in the courtroom. A$AP Rocky was seen jumping up and down, excitedly hugging people. He also thanked the courtroom, telling them they saved his life.
Rihanna was supportive through the ordeal, as she showed up numerous times to the courtroom to support her man, who is also the father of her two sons.
