A$AP Rocky has declined a final plea offer from the prosecution, which entailed a sentence of 180 days in jail.
The proposition presented to the American rapper, fashion entrepreneur, and actor involved pleading guilty to one of the two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
However, A$AP Rocky communicated to a judge on Tuesday that he respectfully rejected the offer.
The hip-hop artist, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, will now contend with the potential for a guilty verdict and several years in prison as jury selection commences for his trial in Los Angeles.
The Grammy-nominated artist, who is the long-term partner of singer Rihanna and the father of their two young sons, stands accused of discharging a firearm at a former acquaintance near a Hollywood hotel in 2021, facing a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison if found guilty. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
A$AP Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, also disclosed in court on Tuesday that the defense intends to summon witnesses to assert that the firearm captured on security footage is a “starter pistol” that Rocky utilized as a prop for security purposes. This defense strategy had not been presented during the pre-trial hearings.
A panel consisting of over 100 potential jurors was convened in the Los Angeles courtroom.
Opening statements will be delivered once 12 jurors and alternate jurors are selected, which is anticipated to occur as early as Wednesday.
