A$AP Rocky, 36, has turned down a plea deal that would have given him 180 days in jail, increasing the risk of a guilty verdict and potential years-long prison sentence. The rapper, fashion mogul, and actor is facing felony charges for allegedly firing a gun at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
Prosecutors offered a plea deal that included a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation, and six months in jail, but Rocky declined. He has pleaded not guilty to one of two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The trial is set to begin with jury selection, which started on Tuesday. A panel of over 100 prospective jurors was summoned to the Los Angeles courtroom, where cameras will be allowed starting from the opening statements.
Rocky’s defense team plans to call witnesses who claim a firearm seen in a security video was a prop Rocky carried as a starter pistol for security purposes. The defense also hopes to show that the gun used in the incident was not the same one seen on video.
The trial comes at a significant time for Rocky, with several high-profile projects in the works, including a role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington and his appearance as a Met Gala chair. However, a conviction could have severe consequences for his life and career.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/asap-rocky-trial-day-1-4a7e46f75077b419214404d64c96e300