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Al Sharpton took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter on Wednesday, to question why only four Black people out of 106 people were selected to possibly serve as jurors in ASAP Rocky's assault trial.
After being made aware of those figures by the Los Angeles office of the National Action Network, Sharpton decided to speak out because he believes Rocky "deserves to be judged fairly by his peers, as is his Constitutional right."
"It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial," he wrote. "When we have four (4) black people in the city of Los Angeles, out of one hundred and six (106) — and exactly zero (0) within in the first thirty (30) possible candidates for the jury — something appears to be very wrong with the system."
Sharpton also pointed out that he is unaware of the specifics regarding Rocky's trial.
Rocky has pleaded not guilty to assault with a semiautomatic firearm in connection with an alleged 2021 shooting, involving Terell Ephron, formerly known as ASAP Relli. According to reporter Meghann Cuniff, the rapper turned down a plea deal that reportedly came with a 180-day jail sentence. He was arrested in 2022.
His lawyer Joe Tacopina has stated that his client was "eager to tell his story."
A police report alleges an argument between two people escalated when one individual allegedly fired a handgun at the other person. The suspect and two others fled the scene, while the alleged victim sustained a minor injury.
Tacopina indicated he will call two witnesses who can testify that the weapon seen in the surveillance video was a "starter pistol" prop gun that Rocky carried for security purposes.
"I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky," Sharpton wrote. If convicted, Rocky faces up to 24 years in prison.
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