How Joe Tacopina Won A$AP Rocky's Felony Assault Trial

Yahoo

25-02-2025

Joe Tacopina, the attorney behind A$AP Rocky's not-guilty verdict in his felony shooting trial, has revealed the factors that led to him and his client beating the case.
Tacopina recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to break down key elements of the defense's strategy in proving Rocky's innocence, and the plaintiff's, A$AP Relli, lies and deception.
During the interview, the lawyer explained he and Rocky's reasoning behind taking the case to trial and not accepting a plea agreement with the state, given his client potentially facing upwards of 20 years in prison.
'Rocky and I had a one-minute conversation' Tacopina said regarding their rejection of the prosecution's proposed plea deal, which included a seven year suspended prison sentence and five years of supervised probation.
Furthermore, the attorney said he and his client balked at the deal due to it requiring him to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit, adding that accepting the plea would've been a 'career-ender' for the rap star.
'He maintained his innocence from the minute I met him three years ago,' Tacopina said of Rocky, who admitted to firing a prop gun, but not an actual fire arm as Relli initially alleged.
The lawyer revealed that his gameplan to was to 'eviscerate' 'ASAP Relli, deeming the former ASAP Mob member a 'pathological liar' who lied to the jury in multiple instances, thus commiting perjury.
He joked that ASAP Relli was 'the worst witness in the history of jurisprudence,' pointing to his conduct on the stand during his testimony and the various holes in his recollection of key events.
This includes lying about never having fired a gun prior to the day of the alleged shooting, despite the defense producing video evidence proving the contrary during cross examination.
Tacopina also pointed to the plantiff's claim that he found the shell casings allegedly fired from Rocky's gun at the scene following the incident, despite authorities failing to find evidence of a shooting after canvassing the area, as further proof of his seeming lunacy.
The lawyer asserted that Relli should be 'prosecuted for extortion,' as he argues that a potential payout was the alleged victim's motivation for pursuing charges against Rocky. This theory was in reference to the $30 million civil suit Relli filed against his former crewmate in September 2023.
On Feb. 18, A$AP Rocky was found not guilty of all charges, a moment that was followed by a celebration with his girlfriend, music star Rihanna, as well as Tacopina, with whom he shared a heartfelt embrace with in the wake of the verdict.
The hitmaker, who hails from New York City, faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted of all charges. Rocky has publicly expressed his appreciation for Tacopina's service, affectionately deeming his an honorary member of the A$AP Mob moving forward.
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