Reports suggest that A$AP Rocky is weighing the possibility of testifying in his defense at his felony assault trial, where he faces two charges related to firing a semiautomatic firearm. During discussions with a Los Angeles judge on Monday, his legal team indicated that the rapper may take the stand Tuesday, or alternatively, the defense could rest its case.
If we were bettors, our money would be A$AP, and we would NOT take the stand.
If you know anything about trials, especially of the criminal variety, Rocky is not obligated to testify, his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, shared that the rapper is eager to tell his side of the story. “He would love the opportunity to do so,” Tacopina said, despite the risks associated with cross-examination in criminal trials.
But get this: if he does testify, Rocky is expected to claim that the gun fired during a 2021 altercation in Hollywood was a starter pistol that only discharged blanks and that he carried it for security reasons after a prior break-in at his home.
ICYMI, during the trial, Rocky’s tour manager, Lou Levin, testified that the rapper had been carrying the starter pistol, which he described as a non-lethal form of self-defense. Levin explained that the gun was initially acquired for a video shoot in the summer of 2021, months before the incident that led to the charges.
To remind everyone of the charges, Rocky is accused of firing two shots at A$AP Relli, a fellow member of the A$AP Mob, during a dispute on a Hollywood street corner. While Relli reported that the gunfire grazed him, he did not sustain serious injuries. No physical evidence was found at the scene, and Relli later provided shell casings he recovered from the location.
As the trial progresses, attention is also on whether Rocky’s partner, Rihanna, will be present in court to support him, as she has appeared sporadically throughout the proceedings. The outcome of this case could lead to a sentence of up to 24 years in prison if Rocky is convicted.
