LOS ANGELES — The high-profile felony assault trial of rapper A$AP Rocky reached its climax as the case was handed to the jury late Friday. The proceedings have garnered considerable attention, partly due to the presence of Rocky’s wife, pop superstar Rihanna, and the couple’s young children in the courtroom.
During the closing arguments, the prosecutor urged the Los Angeles jury, composed of seven women and five men, to disregard their sentiments towards the celebrity couple and focus solely on the evidence presented. The jurors are set to deliberate on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, charges that could lead to a maximum of 24 years in prison if Rocky is convicted on both counts.
Rihanna, who has been a constant figure throughout the three-week trial, made a notable appearance with their two young sons for the first time during the closing arguments. This move was suggested by Deputy District Attorney John Lewin to be a tactic to sway the jury’s sympathies. Lewin emphasized the importance of jurors maintaining their objectivity, stating, “You are not allowed to consider how this might affect Rihanna and his kids. We are all responsible for our own actions in the world.”
The case centers on an incident from 2021 where A$AP Rocky is accused of firing two shots at a former friend during a confrontation on a Hollywood street corner. Rocky’s defense argued that the rapper fired blanks from a prop gun he had acquired for a music video shoot. Defense attorney Joe Tacopina portrayed the accuser, known as A$AP Relli, as the aggressor and a dubious witness, highlighting a series of belligerent text messages Relli allegedly sent before the altercation.
Tacopina’s strategy included scrutinizing Relli’s credibility, accentuating the discrepancies in his testimony and the deletion of the contentious text messages. Moreover, Tacopina used surveillance video from the scene to argue that Relli initiated the physical confrontation, although the video does not clearly capture Rocky’s actions at the critical moment.
Apart from the defensive arguments around the alleged prop gun, the defense suggested that Rocky could be acquitted on grounds of self-defense or defending his friends, further complicating the jury’s decision process. The prosecution, however, dismissed these claims. Lewin argued that if the jury concluded the weapon was not a prop, then the self-defense argument would be invalid.
Throughout the trial, references to Rocky’s celebrity status and his entourage were recurrent themes in the prosecution’s narrative, suggesting an environment where truth could be obscured by loyalty and fame. At one point, the judge had to intervene, instructing Lewin to refrain from further mentioning Rihanna or the children in his comments, underscoring the need for the trial proceedings to remain focused on the facts of the case.
The case is now in the hands of the jury, who will reconvene after a three-day weekend to begin their deliberations. The outcome of this trial could set a significant precedent for how celebrity status intersects with legal accountability.
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