A Los Angeles jury reached a verdict on Tuesday in the assault trial of A$AP Rocky. The hip-hop star faces decades in prison for allegedly shooting at a former friend during a confrontation in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021.
The jury panel, which is made up of seven women and five men, began deliberations on Tuesday morning and verdict is expected to be read at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The Grammy-nominated rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, was charged on Aug. 15, 2022 with two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm for allegedly firing a handgun in the direction of Terrell Ephron, whose professional name is A$AP Relli, during a confrontation between the two men.
He pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the New York rapper could face up to 24 years in prison.
Mayers and Ephron were childhood friends and both part of the Harlem-based rap collective A$AP Mob.
The trial began with jury selection on Jan. 21. It included testimony from Ephron, who served as a star witness for prosecutors and accused Mayers of shooting at him during his testimony, claiming that his hand was grazed by a bullet.
Mayers declined to take the witness stand during the trial.
The gun, which was never recovered by authorities, was a focal point in this trial. Prosecutors argued that the gun was real, while Mayers’ defense team argued that the gun that the rapper was holding at the time of the confrontation was merely a “prop gun” that he carried for his own security.
Ahead of jury selection in this case, Mayers turned down a plea deal that was offered to him by prosecutors, the rapper’s lead attorney Joe Tacopina confirmed to ABC News. It included a 180-day jail term.
“Yes, he was offered a plea deal but is not interested because he is actually innocent,” Tacopia said.
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