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A$AP ROCKY FACES TRIAL OVER ALLEGED GUN INCIDENT WITH FORMER FRIEND

A$AP ROCKY FACES TRIAL OVER ALLEGED GUN INCIDENT WITH FORMER FRIEND
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Faith Nyasuguta 

Jury selection will start Tuesday for A$AP Rocky’s trial, where he faces charges of firing a gun at his former friend. If convicted, the 36-year-old hip-hop star could face up to 24 years in prison. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. His lawyer maintains that he is innocent of the charges.

A Grammy-nominated artist, fashion mogul, and actor, Rocky is best known for his music career and for being the long-time partner of singer Rihanna. Together, they have two young children. Although it remains unclear if Rihanna will be present to support him in court, his lawyer has hinted that she may not attend.

AP Rocky, izquierda, y Rihanna asisten a la gala benéfica del Costume Institute del Museo Metropolitano de Arte en Nueva York el 13 de septiembre de 2021 /AP/

Rocky is scheduled to be one of the celebrity chairs at the Met Gala in May, and he has a significant role in an upcoming Spike Lee-directed film featuring Denzel Washington, set to release shortly after the trial. However, his career and personal life could be severely impacted by the trial’s outcome. If jurors find him guilty of shooting at his former friend, Terell Ephron, in Hollywood in 2021. 

Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold has expressed his intention to quickly seat a jury and emphasized that the trial would proceed with fairness, regardless of the defendant’s fame or wealth. “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 stated during a pretrial hearing.

Opening statements are expected to begin on Wednesday. Judge Arnold has also decided to allow media cameras to capture the trial once the jury is selected, offering public access to the proceedings.

A$AP Rocky /Inkl/

The charges stem from an incident on November 6, 2021, when Ephron, a childhood friend of Rocky, testified that their relationship had deteriorated, culminating in the alleged shooting. Ephron testified that the bullets grazed his knuckles, and a preliminary hearing in 2023 led to the decision to move forward with the trial.

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Faith Nyasuguta

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