After speaking with his lawyer – and likely keeping prosecutors up late preparing for his potential cross-examination – A$AP Rocky decided not testify in his own defense. He confirmed the decision to a judge in the final phase of his felony firearm assault trial in downtown Los Angeles.
“You have a right to get on the stand and give your side of the case,” Judge Mark Arnold said. “Also, you have a right under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution not to testify. You cannot be compelled to testify. It’s totally your decision to either get on the stand or waive your right to testify.” The judge then asked which right Rocky wanted to invoke.
“I want my right to not testify,” the rapper, born Rakim Mayers, said, seated at the defense table. His lawyer then rested the defense case. Closing arguments are now set for Thursday.
Late Monday, Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told the court the decision remained up in the air. At that point, Rocky’s defense had called two members of his A$AP Mob collective to corroborate his claim he was only carrying a prop gun the night of his confrontation with A$AP Relli on a Hollywood street three years ago. A$AP Twelvyy, born Jamel Phillips, told jurors that he was present for the incident and everyone allegedly knew Mayers was carrying a fake gun. Lou Levin, a tour manager also known as A$AP Lou, testified Monday that Mayers got the prop gun from the set of the “D.M.B.” music video he filmed with Rihanna in July 2021. Levin said he personally returned the prop gun to the video’s co-director after the incident with Relli.
Mayers has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and is facing years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors allege he fired two 9mm bullets at Relli, born Terell Ephron, during an argument at the corner of Selma Ave. and Vista Del Mar Ave. on Nov. 6, 2021. During testimony, Ephron said one bullet grazed his left hand, leaving visible wounds under his knuckles.
Mayers, 36, alleges Ephron was the aggressor in the curbside confrontation and that he only fired two blanks from a prop gun as “warning shots” to stop Ephron from attacking A$AP Illz, born Illijah Ulanger. Tacopina has told jurors Ephron planted the two 9mm shell casings that he allegedly collected from the scene after police searched and found no evidence of a shooting. He accused Ephron of fabricating the evidence to support his $30 million lawsuit against Mayers.
Rihanna, who shares two toddler sons with Mayers, has attended five of the 11 days the trial has been in session. On Friday, she gave Mayers a long hug in the public hallway outside the courtroom. A short time later, the couple exited the building arm-in-arm.
Before the trial started, Tacopina said his client was “eager to tell his story” to jurors. “He would love the opportunity to do so,” the lawyer said. But defendants generally decline to take the witness stand, choosing instead to avoid a potentially brutal cross-examination that might discredit them in the eyes of the jury.
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