A$AP Rocky chose not to exercise his option to testify on Tuesday (Feb. 11) amidst the ongoing trial regarding allegations that he discharged a firearm at former associate A$AP Relli near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021.
In a TMZ footage, Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold reminds the erstwhile A$AP Mob artist (real name Rakim Mayers) that he has the “right to take the stand and present your perspective” and the “right based on the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution to refrain from testifying.” When queried which right he wished to assert, Rocky replied, “I choose my right to not testify.”
Rocky was more expressive in court on Friday (Feb. 7) when he urged A$AP Twelvyy to avoid disclosing the meaning of AWGE, the former’s creative agency and record label. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin had requested Twelvyy to share what the letters represented when Rocky implored, “Don’t say it.”
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Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina stated on Monday (Feb. 10) that either his client would take the stand on Tuesday or the defense would conclude its case, as reported by the Associated Press. Closing arguments are set to commence Thursday morning (Feb. 13), with the jury beginning deliberations that same afternoon.
Rocky faces two felony charges of assault with a weapon and risks a 24-year prison sentence if found guilty after rejecting a plea offer for a mere 180 days in county jail. He was taken into custody in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport and secured a $550,000 bond soon afterward. He entered a not guilty plea to the charges in August 2022.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
