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A$AP Rocky Refuses Plea Deal In Opening of Gun Assault Trial

The Harlem rapper turned down a plea offer of 180 days in jail involving the alleged shooting of his former friend, Terell Ephron.

A$AP Rocky has rejected a plea deal that would’ve given him six months of jail time.

On Tuesday, January 21, 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. As jury selection for Rocky's trial began, he reportedly rejected the prosecution's last plea deal of 180 days in jail, putting him at risk of a guilty verdict and up to 24 years behind bars.

If 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.

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.

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.

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