Joe Tacopina, the attorney for rapper A$AP Rocky, 36, claims his client is confident that he will not be charged and will be acquitted in his upcoming felony gun assault case with former friend, A$AP Relli, who is being represented by Camille Vasquez.
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A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, is facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing shots at A$AP Relli, born Terell Ephron, in November 2021. If convicted on all charges, Rocky could face up to 24 years in prison.
According to Newsweek, the trial has thus far been hit with delays, most recently in November to allow Rocky to headline the Rolling Loud music festival in Thailand. However, there was a pretrial conference on Wednesday (January 15), for which A$AP Rocky was not present.
At the meeting, Newsweek reports that prosecutors told Rocky’s attorney, Tacopina, that they are prepared to offer him one more chance at a plea deal. However, Tacopina declined the offer and claimed his client, A$AP Rocky, has “no interest” in a settlement.
RELATED: Rapper A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty In Alleged A$AP Relli Shooting
Tacopina told the court, “My client has not indicated that he is willing to take anything, but, obviously, I will listen to anything, any offer; and I have an obligation and duty to relay it to my client, which I will do.” Jury selection is set to begin on January 21 and Rocky has been ordered to appear in person.
After the hearing, A$AP Rocky’s attorney reportedly told the press that he is “doing great” and is “confident” that he will be acquitted in his gun assault case with A$AP Relli, further noting that they allegedly have evidence in support of his maintained innocence.
Tacopina said, “There’s a reason that 10 police officers searched and didn’t find shell casings there.” While speaking of the alleged crime scene, Tacopina added, “It’s] not because they were blind or drunk or because they didn’t want to find it. It’s because they did a thorough job.” He also noted that Rocky is “eager” to testify if needed, wholly stating, “He’s confident and he’s ready to go. He believes in justice, and he believes this is going to work out for him.”
RELATED: A$AP Rocky And A$AP Relli Reach Deal To Pause Lawsuit Over Alleged 2021 Shooting
During the Wednesday court conference, A$AP Rocky’s partner and children’s mother Rihanna was mentioned, with the court asking if she should be described as his “wife,” “common-law wife,” or “significant other.” Tacopina said he didn’t know if they were legally married anywhere, but that they are “common-law.” The judge opted to use “significant other,” unless revealed that they were legally wed.
While speaking with the press after the conference, Tacopina was asked if Rihanna plans to attend the trial with Rocky, and he said he was unsure. He said, “I know Rocky is very protective of Rihanna and doesn’t want her anywhere near this proceeding. But that’s a family decision they’ll make.”
He added, “This case is not about Rihanna. But I guess the D.A. wants to make sure people aren’t so enamored with Rihanna they’re going to be so blinded by their love for Rihanna they won’t listen to the evidence and facts of this case. I don’t think that’s the case. I think people are too smart for that. But I guess they’re worried about it. They want to make sure she’s classified in [a certain] way.”
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