The defense has rested in A$AP Rocky’s felony assault trial without putting the rapper on the stand.
Since Monday, many have been wondering if he would testify in his defense, but shortly before he walked into court Tuesday morning it was announced he would not take the stand and the defense decided to rest the case.
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, told the judge he made the decision not to testify in the final phase of the case.
The New York native is fighting felony assault charges from 2021 when he allegedly fired a gun directed at a former friend A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terrell Efron, in Hollywood. Prosecutors claim Rocky fired two 9 mm bullets at Relli during an argument at the corner of Selma Avenue and Vista Del Mar Avenue on Nov. 6, 2021.
During testimony, Relli said that one bullet grazed his left hand, leaving visible wounds on his knuckles.
Rocky has entered a not guilty plea for two counts of felony assault charges with a semiautomatic firearm and has let the trial play out in court in front of a jury and his partner, singer Rihanna, who is also the mother of his two children. He has always maintained that it was a prop weapon and no bullets were discharged.
During testimony on Monday, his manager said that the gun was a prop from a set. If convicted, Rocky could face up to 24 years in prison. He initially turned down a pre-trial plea deal that could have just ended up with 180 days in jail.
The court is set to resume on Thursday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.
