A $ AP Rocky was not found guilty on all bills by a Los Angeles jury, which ended an exhaustive three-week trial that accused the Harlem-Born rapper (real name Rakim Mayers) to shoot a gun against his former friend, a $ AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron).
When the verdict was announced in a court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Rocky and his defense team and the room erupted in joy and cheer. Rocky skipped the stand to hug Rihanna And his mother, Renee Black, and Sister Erika Mayers.
Rocky was opposing Two accusations of abuse of crime originating from a shooting incident It happened outside the W Hotel in Hollywood. On November 6, 2021, Rocky and Ephron had a confrontation at Hollywood Boulevard where Rocky is claimed to direct a gun at Ephron’s head and stomach. Ephron said his hand grazed by one of the balls that is allegedly shot.
Rocky’s defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina, referred to Ephron’s injuries as a “knuckle” and claimed that his client used a propr gun on that day to break up a scrap between Ephron and Rocky’s entourage.
“There is no bullet in the world that could have done so,” Tacopina said, showing lawyers a picture of Ephron’s bloody knuckles. A $ AP Twelvyy (real name Jamel Phillips), a friend who was with Rocky that night, testified that Rocky fired the shots as a way to prevent the Ephron from going after another member of their crew, a $ AP Illz (real name Illijah Ullanger). Still, Rocky was stuck with he never kicked any living bullets.
When the police returned to the scene to gather evidence, they found nothing in place. Ephron also returned to the stage and found allegedly two 9mm shell casings.
Ephron’s testimony included his recognition that he was in a gun area in Los Angeles and shot a semi -automatic gun, just two weeks before the November event. This turned out to be a critical point in the trial because Rocky’s defense was largely built on Tacopina’s argument that Ephron “planted” the two 9mm shells he claims he found.
Rocky claimed Ephron was the shooting story to blackmail him, citing Ephron’s $ 30 million civil trial against him.
Prosecutor John Lewin and Tacopina came into a Indirect Ropmatch At a time in the trial, but without the jury in the room. Tacopina accused Lewin of behaving unethically and accused the prosecution against pests on behalf of Ephron. In the meantime, Lewin objected to these claims, which caused Judge Mark Arnold to point to Lewin and say, “Lower your voice and don’t scream at me.”
Although Rihanna, mother of Rocky’s child, was never called to testify, she showed up in the courtroom several times in support of her partner. For one of these dates, she brought with her the couple’s two toddlers, who made judge Arnold control that for the state’s rebuttal, “there is no mention” of the fact that “Rihanna is in the courtroom or the children who are in the courtroom”, according to Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon.
Rocky was facing up to 24 years in prison for his involvement in this case. He did not appeal guilty to the charges and rejected a foundation of 180 days in prison.
Ephron, along with Rocky and others, was part of a New York-based rap collective called a $ AP Mob founded in 2006 by the late Steven Rodriguez, also known as a $ AP YAMS. The group included rappers, music video directors, fashion designers and cyclists.
