Harlem rapper, A$AP Rocky, has reportedly turned down a plea offer of 180 days in jail involving the alleged shooting of his former friend, Terell Ephron.
The plea deal would’ve given him six months of jail time, and thus, he is at risk of a a guilty verdict and up to 24 years behind bars.
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the rapper’s gun assault trial began in Los Angeles, involving his alleged 2021 shooting of his childhood friend, Terell Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli.
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Had the rapper had pleaded guilty to one of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, he would’ve received a seven-year suspended sentence with three years on probation. Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, maintains that the firearm, seen in surveillance footage, was a prop gun carried for security purposes.
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office claims that during a confrontation in Hollywood on November 6, 2021, Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, aimed a firearm at Ephron and shot twice in his direction. Ephron sought medical attention at a local hospital for his knuckles, which he claims were grazed by bullets, before flying back to New York. On August 15, 2022, Rocky was charged with two counts of assault involving a semi-automatic rifle in connection with the alleged incident.
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It’s been questioned whether Rocky’s partner, Rihanna, with whom the rapper shares two sons, will attend the trial, although she was not present during court proceedings on Tuesday.
Per an earlier report, A$APRocky’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, expressed conviction that his client is “eager to tell his story.”
Ahead of his gun assault trial, which began on January 21, 2025, the Harlem rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was taken into custody in April 2022.
However, on Wednesday, January 15, shortly after the jury selection in the trial, Tacopina assured the public that Rocky would receive an acquittal.
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