A$AP Rocky Trial: American Rapper Wins Legal Battle As Jury Finds Him Not Guilty In Gun Assault Case
- A$AP Rocky was acquitted on two charges by a jury in his gun assault trial on Tuesday, February 18, 2025
- The Grammy-nominated rapper was overwhelmed with emotions and jumped into the courtroom gallery to hug his partner, Rihanna
- A$AP Rocky is still facing a civil lawsuit filed by A$AP Relli, who accused the rapper and his lawyer of defamation
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Award-winning American rapper Rakim Athelaston Mayers, popularly known as A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty by a jury in his gun assault trial.
Source: Facebook
The rapper appeared in court on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, and was acquitted on both charges in his felony assault trial after being accused of shooting his former associate ASAP Relli.
In a social media video sighted by YEN.com.gh, A$AP Rocky could not hold emotions after the not guilty verdict was read in the courtroom.
He immediately rushed to jump over the bench wall into the courtroom gallery and hugged his partner Rihanna, who could not hold back tears.
The nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer had been present in the courtroom throughout the various court proceedings to offer physical and emotional support to her baby daddy.
A$AP Rocky also expressed his gratitude to the jury for reaching their not-guilty verdict and preventing him from seeing possible jail time, saying that they had saved his life.
The Fashion Killa hitmaker was facing two felony charges for allegedly shooting a gun multiple times at his former associate Terell Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli during an incident near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021.
The rapper was arrested by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department at the LAX airport in 2022 for his alleged involvement in the crime. He maintained his innocence and pled not guilty to both felony charges.
A$AP Rocky was initially offered a plea deal by Los Angeles County prosecutors, which would have seen him receive three years probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence, and 180 days in county jail if he pled guilty to one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
However, the Grammy-nominated rapper rejected the plea deal, choosing instead to go on trial and prove his innocence. The trial began on January 21, 2025. He faced up to 24 years in prison if he was convicted of the two felony charges.
During the trial, A$AP Relli alleged that A$AP Rocky took out a gun and fired at him after an argument broke out between them when they met to make peace.
Surveillance footage was also presented in court, showing A$AP Rocky holding a gun before the altercation. The prosecutors claimed that A$AP Rocky had allegedly fired a semiautomatic gun, which grazed A$AP Relli's hand. The accuser also claimed that he had received death threats over the accusations.
Source: Instagram
However, the defence team argued that the rapper had only fired blanks from a prop gun that was used in a music video. No actual weapon was found as evidence in the case.
The defence team also cast doubts about A$AP Relli's testimony and credibility, suggesting that he was trying to extort money from his former associate.
A$AP Rocky is still facing a civil lawsuit filed by A$AP Relli, who accused the rapper and his lawyer of defamation. He alleged that two individuals launched a smear campaign against him and tarnished his image with false statements.
Following the verdict, A$AP Rocky left the courthouse with his partner Rihanna and spoke to the media before heading home to celebrate his acquittal from the trial.
The rapper is set to be among one of the numerous performers at the 2025 edition of the Rolling Loud festival in March and will be a celebrity chair at the Met Gala in May. He also has a Spike Lee-directed movie set to be released. The film also stars the legendary Denzel Washington.
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Salifu Amoako, wife rearrested after dropped charges
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Bishop Salifu Amoako and his wife were rearrested after their criminal case was dropped.
The man of God, his wife and another individual were spotted in the custody of police personnel in a circuit court premises after their charges were dropped.
The charges against Salifu Amoako and his wife were dropped for more investigations to be conducted by the Ghana Police Service.
Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
