LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors have begun deliberations on the trial of rapper A$AP Rocky.
The Los Angeles jury of seven girls and 5 males started their discussions on Tuesday after three weeks of testimony and arguments.
Up to now, they have been deliberating two hours.
Rocky, whose authorized identify is Rakim Mayers, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He may rise up to 24 years in jail with convictions. The 36-year-old hip-hop star, style maven and actor is the accomplice of singing star Rihanna, who attended a lot of the trial and introduced their two toddler sons to closing arguments.
Here is a more in-depth take a look at the deliberations:
What jurors are deciding
Jurors should unanimously determine whether or not Rocky is responsible of firing two photographs with a handgun at a former buddy referred to as A$AP Relli on a Hollywood road nook on Nov. 6, 2021.
The jury can acquit him in the event that they imagine a protection argument that he solely fired blanks from a prop gun that he carried for safety, or in the event that they imagine he was appearing in self protection.
The jurors don’t must agree of their reasoning — or to elucidate it — they solely must agree on the end result. Every of the fees is for one of many photographs. It could be extraordinarily uncommon for them to seek out him responsible of 1 and never the opposite.
A mistrial will be declared in the event that they fail to return to consensus.
The potential jail sentence
Every of the counts carries a sentence of three to 9 years in jail. If responsible verdicts are reached, the choose will individually determine whether or not a California sentencing enhancement for private use of a firearm applies. The utmost doable sentence is 24 years and 4 months, in keeping with the district legal professional’s workplace.
Rocky has been free on bail since his 2022 arrest. If he’s convicted, he’s more likely to be taken into custody instantly, although his legal professionals can petition for his launch till sentencing. He turned down a pre-trial plea deal that might’ve meant simply six months in jail.
The proof jurors are
A$AP Relli’s testimony made up the majority of the prosecution’s case. One surveillance digicam captured the sound of the photographs being fired. One other partially captured a scuffle shortly earlier than the capturing. One more digicam captured the incident itself, although it’s small and blurry within the nook of the body.
Jurors also can contemplate textual content messages to Rocky and others that Relli despatched earlier than and after the incident. Relli has additionally filed a civil lawsuit, and mentioned within the communications that he had a larger want to be paid by Rocky somewhat than to see him prosecuted.
Protection witnesses included two members of Rocky’s interior circle who testified that he carried the prop gun.
