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ASAP Rocky's assault trial in Los Angeles kicked off on Friday, Jan. 24, with both the prosecution and defense delivering their opening statements.
Rocky is represented by attorney Joe Tacopina, who has previously worked with President Donald Trump and Meek Mill. In opening statements delivered today, which can be seen above, the rapper's defense claimed that the firearm that Rocky was seen holding in surveillance footage was a prop gun and that the alleged victim knew that it wasn't real. The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that separate surveillance footage captured the sound of the weapon being fired twice.
ASAP Rocky has been accused by prosecutors of firing a gun at Terell Ephron, formerly known as ASAP Relli, in an alleged shooting in 2021. He is facing two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Rocky rejected a plea deal earlier this month that would have seen him plead guilty to one felony assault charge, which would have sent him to jail for 180 days, get hit with a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation, and 500 hours of community service.
According to a source close to the rapper that TMZ spoke with, Rocky rejected the plea bargain because it would "effectively end his career."
The jury selection process got a lot of coverage in the lead-up to the trial, with Al Sharpton among those criticizing how only four of the 106 potential jurors were Black. None of the twelve selected for the trial are Black. The potential jurors were also asked questions about the mother of Rocky's two children, Rihanna.
You can watch the trial up top.
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