A$AP Rocky Turns Down Plea Deal As Gun Firing Trial Opens

Rapper A$AP Rocky has declined a prosecution plea deal of 180 days in jail and will risk spending years in prison as jury selection begins at his assault trial.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail and will face the possibility of a guilty verdict and years in prison as jury selection began at his trial on Tuesday.

The agreement offered to the 36-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor whose legal name is Rakim Mayers was to plead guilty to one of his two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Los Angeles County prosecutors would also recommend a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and the six-month jail term.

But Rocky told a judge he respectfully declined.

He is accused of firing at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel in 2021, and could get a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Rocky’s attorney Joe Tacopina also revealed in court Tuesday that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video is a “starter pistol” that Rocky carried as a prop for security purposes. The strategy had not been aired at pretrial hearings.