Latest news with #ASAPMob
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Joe Tacopina Won A$AP Rocky's Felony Assault Trial
Joe Tacopina, the attorney behind A$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$AP Mob moving forward. More from A$AP Rocky Named As Ray-Ban's First-Ever Creative Director Young Thug Calls For Pooh Shiesty's Release From Prison Following A$AP Rocky Verdict A$AP Rocky Found Not Guilty In Gun Assault Trial: "Thank Y'all For Saving My Life"
CBS News
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Jury deliberations set to begin in ASAP Rocky's assault trial
Jury deliberations in ASAP Rocky's assault trial are set to begin Tuesday morning. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is on trial facing two felony counts of assault with a firearm. Rocky is accused of opening fire and shooting at his former friend, Terell Ephron near a Hollywood hotel in 2021. Closing arguments were delivered last week after Ephron took the stand and testified that Rocky pulled a gun out and pointed it at him before firing shots. According to prosecutors, it was the first of two confrontations that day between Rocky and Ephron. Rocky has pleaded not guilty to the counts and has maintained his innocence through statements by his attorneys. He turned down a plea deal from prosecutors last week which would have included 180 days in jail. Rocky's legal team has been relying on video evidence claiming the gun shown was a prop. They said he had it with him for security reasons. If he is convicted on all charges, Rocky could face a maximum possible sentence of 24 years in prison. Rocky's longtime partner, Grammy award-winning artist Rihanna, has been seen at his trial. She has been accompanied by their two sons 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers. Why is ASAP Rocky on trial Former friend and once a member of Rocky's hip hop collective, ASAP Mob, Ephron is accusing him of pulling a gun on him, shooting at him and threatening his life. There were allegedly two confrontations between Ephron and Rocky outside of a Hollywood hotel in 2021. The first confrontation is described only as a scuffle. Ephron claims that during the second confrontation which occurred a few moments after the first, Rocky pulled out a gun from his waistband and fired shots at him. During the trial, Ephron told jurors Rocky said "I'll kill you right now" as he pointed the gun at him. He then said the gun was pointed "like towards my stomach, like towards like my head and shoulder," according to the Associated Press's livestream of the trial. When questioned about the alleged incident, Ephron could not remember certain details. Ephron testified last year that bullets fired by Rocky grazed his knuckles during the alleged incident. Meanwhile, Rocky's attorneys have argued the alleged victim is lying and the rapper was carrying a prop gun that only fired blanks.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
A$AP Rocky trial biggest moments: Rihanna appearances, Relli's lively testimony
A$AP Rocky trial biggest moments: Rihanna appearances, Relli's lively testimony Show Caption Hide Caption What to know about rapper A$AP Rocky's trial A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. Rocky could serve up to 24 years in prison. A jury will soon begin deliberating in A$AP Rocky's trial for allegedly shooting former friend A$AP Relli in 2021. Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm after he allegedly shot in the direction of Terell Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli, over an argument near a Hollywood, California, hotel on Nov. 6, 2021. The 36-year-old rapper could serve up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Opening statements began Jan. 24 in the three-week-long trial. The rapper is accused of brandishing a gun and firing shots that grazed his former friend's knuckles. Rocky and his defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, claim the gun was a prop firearm. Closing arguments were made Thursday and a jury will decide whether the ASAP Mob member is guilty or not guilty. The jury may begin deliberation Friday. Here are the biggest moments from the three-week trial. A$AP Rocky declines to testify in his felony assault trial Rihanna supports A$AP Rocky in classy court-wear Rihanna, Rocky's longtime partner and the mother of his two children, has steadily appeared in court throughout the trial, according to The Associated Press and Rolling Stone, sitting alongside his mother and sister. The couple share sons RZA, 2, and Riot Rose, 1. Her appearances have been accompanied by stylish, noir chic ensembles: a button-up white top and skinny black tie here, a glen plaid gray jacket and slacks there. Following one of the days' proceedings, flanked by media, a reporter asked how she was holding up. The superstar replied: "I'm good, thank you," according to the AP. On Feb. 13, Rihanna brought in reinforcements for the case's closing arguments and sat in the courtroom with her and Rocky's two sons, according to the AP and Rolling Stone. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky relationship timeline: How the couple's romance began A$AP Relli's critical testimony gets lively, combative The trial has been punctuated by passionate testimony from its key witness and alleged victim, Ephron. During cross-examination on Jan. 30, Ephron seemingly grew impatient as Tacopina questioned him in court. He caused a stir when he shouted at Rocky: "You did this to yourself!" Judge Mark Arnold sternly instructed Ephron to "not talk to the defendant," leading the judge to call a brief recess so Ephron's lawyer could explain to him how to answer properly in court. Rocky's attorney and Ephron continued to butt heads throughout his four-day testimony, including attempts to contradict Ephron's earlier testimony that he had no social media presence due to backlash for coming forward about the alleged shooting. "Why are you showing my Instagram? I'm already getting death threats," Ephron said to Tacopina during cross-examination. Earlier in the trial, Ephron reversed previous testimony, in which he said a video of him at a gun club had been filmed in New Jersey. He admitted he was shooting a semiautomatic gun two weeks before the alleged shooting took place, according to Rolling Stone and Courthouse News Service. Throughout his time on the stand, Ephron delivered lively testimony, and his contradictory statements could complicate the jury's verdict. "I just wanted to stop talking to you," Ephron told Tacopina when asked why the story changed, according to the outlets. Ephron also spent time calling out his former friend, saying he "likes to lie" and labeling him "Mr. Six Month Man" because he would only see him every six months as their relationship soured. A$AP Relli tells alleged story of A$AP Rocky shooting: 'Like a movie' In his testimony, Ephron claimed the impetus for their altercation was a phone call in which he overheard Rocky call him a series of slurs. When the two met up the following day, Ephron alleged Rocky pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and held it against his stomach and head. Ephron previously described how Rocky allegedly "shot down" with the gun and explained what was shown in surveillance footage from the incident that was presented to the courtroom. "The whole thing was like a movie; he kind of like pointed it down and he shot the first shot," he said. "When he shot the first shot, I felt my hand: hot. So I grabbed (Illijah Ulanger, also known as A$AP Illz), used him as a shield." Ulanger, who'd allegedly arrived with Rocky, was "petrified" and "screaming no, no, no," Ephron described. A$AP Rocky's prop gun defense As the trial began, Rocky and his attorney claimed that the item the "Tailor Swif" rapper was carrying was not a real firearm but rather a starter pistol – a prop gun – that contained no live rounds, per Rolling Stone and The Associated Press. According to the Los Angeles Times, Rocky's attorney previously said he was unable to bring the gun in as evidence to present at trial. Another A$AP member — Jamel Phillips, aka A$AP Twelvyy — testified during the second and third weeks of trial that Ephron had been the aggressor of the Hollywood incident and that the gun fired that night was a prop firearm, according to Billboard. Rolling Stone and the AP report that Twelvyy said he and Ephron knew Rocky's firearm was not real. On Jan. 29, Ephron attested it was a real gun. Ephron told the courtroom he'd returned to the scene after police arrived to investigate a report of a shooting and found two shell casings. Per the LA Times, Tacopina previously cast doubt on Ephron's claim that he'd found such evidence that had been missed by investigating officers. The mysterious meaning of A$AP Rocky's 'AWGE' A peculiar moment in the trial happened elsewhere in Twelvyy's testimony. After prosecutors showed a photo of a bedroom purportedly taken at the rapper's West Hollywood home, on Feb. 7 Twelvyy was asked by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin what "AWGE" stands for. The acronym, which was found at the foot of the bed in the exhibit, is the name of Rocky's creative agency and record label, and its meaning has been notoriously hidden. Rocky interjected from the defense table, "Don't say it," according to Billboard. Twelvyy claimed he had his interpretation of what the acronym stood for but did not confidently know the meaning. The trial then paused for a sidebar. Afterward, when Lewin asked Twelvyy if he had heard the command, he denied it. "I heard something. I'm not too sure what I heard; I was listening to you," he said. Later, he added, "I know what A$AP means; I don't know what AWGE means." The judge then called for the court to take a break, and the "AWGE" questioning was seemingly dropped. A$AP Rocky turns down 180-day sentence plea deal Before the trial, Rocky shocked onlookers after he turned down a plea deal that would have resulted in 180 days in prison. Rocky rejected his final plea deal offer from Los Angeles prosecutors on Jan. 21, according to Rolling Stone and The Associated Press. The offer would have required three years probation, 52 weeks of anger management and 480 hours of community service, Rolling Stone reported. It also included a seven-year suspended sentence (which would be delayed and not enforced if certain probation requirements were met). The plea would have also left Rocky with a felony record, affecting his ability to travel and, therefore, work and perform, according to the outlet. Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Pamela Avila, USA TODAY
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
With Rihanna looking on, ASAP Rocky accuser describes alleged Hollywood shooting
Rihanna made her first appearance in court during ASAP Rocky's assault trial Wednesday, with the singer seated in the gallery as the downtown Los Angeles court heard key testimony about an alleged shooting that could send her rap star partner to prison for nearly 20 years. On the witness stand was Terell Ephron, a.k.a. ASAP Relli, a co-founder of ASAP Mob, the Harlem rap collective that helped launch Rocky's career. Ephron testified that he met up with Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, in the hopes of fixing their broken friendship. Ephron said the two had drifted apart as Mayers' star rose and the other members of the crew struggled to find success. Aside from Mayers, most members of the ASAP crew are now "broke or bums," Ephron previously testified. 'I call him Mr. Six Month Man, cause I'd see him once every six months … when he'd come around, he was fake. What are we supposed to be in this ASAP thing for?" Ephron asked. "It was all smoke and mirrors.' Tensions between the two were high that night, Ephron testified, after he overheard Mayers insulting him on a phone call the day before. Ephron also erroneously believed Mayers had reneged on a promise to pay for the funeral of an ASAP collective member who had died of an overdose. Ephron said he was hoping to squash the beef with Mayers when they met near the W Hotel on the night of the shooting, but Mayers showed up with two other members of the ASAP crew and immediately sparked a confrontation. 'It was all like a movie … just the way he was walking ... the whole thing caught me off guard, like there was no time to talk," Ephron said. Prosecutors have accused Mayers of shooting at Ephron, who suffered a graze wound on his hand. Mayers is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and faces a sentencing enhancement for using a gun in the alleged crime. Mayers has pleaded not guilty, with lawyers claiming the gun used in the encounter was a music video prop incapable of firing real bullets. Read more: ASAP Rocky lawyer says gun used in alleged Hollywood shooting was music video prop When Mayers arrived for court around 9:45 a.m., he was flanked by his usual entourage and mobbed by media, but his paramour was nowhere in sight. Rihanna's presence in court wasn't confirmed until a little after 10 a.m., when she was spotted by reporters sitting among Mayers' family dressed in a black pea coat and sporting glasses. The "Umbrella" singer could be seen watching Ephron's testimony intently. She is not a witness in the case, though her relationship to Mayers came up during jury selection. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold made no mention of her presence, and it was not clear if jurors were aware she was in court. Her representatives have not responded to prior requests for comments on the case. There is video of the confrontation between Mayers and Ephron, but it does not show the full incident. One clip shows a man in a hooded sweatshirt, who prosecutors and Ephron say is Mayers, grabbing Ephron around the head and neck, then pulling a gun from his waistband. Another shows the shooting from a distance but doesn't clearly show anyone's face, though it does capture audio of two loud pops that sound like gunshots. Mayers' defense attorney Joe Tacopina — who is likely to begin cross-examining Ephron on Thursday — has said the weapon was a "prop gun" that only fired blanks. Ephron said Mayers pointed a gun at his head, face and chest as the two had a screaming match. Ephron insisted he had no intention for things to turn violent, claiming he didn't want to hurt his old friend or tank his career in the music industry. Read more: ASAP Rocky became a superstar. Will a Hollywood shooting trial derail his career? "If I fight Rocky … I'm already not liked … so if I'm fighting him I'm definitely getting blackballed. All the labels like him and work with him," Ephron said. The clash was interrupted when a couple walked by, according to Ephron. But just as things seemed to be settling down, Ephron said he saw one of the men Mayers brought with him — Jamel Phillips, a.k.a. ASAP 12vvy — putting away a knife. At that point, Ephron said, he felt betrayed and furious. 'I'm like, oh, hell no. So now I'm walking with them and I'm literally screaming out at the top of my lungs … how Rocky failed us, and how Jamel went on tour with Rocky for 8 or 9 years and he's back in the projects," Ephron said. 'I knew I would never see this dude again ... I probably would have walked away if I hadn't seen the knife.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
With Rihanna looking on, ASAP Rocky accuser describes alleged Hollywood shooting
Rihanna made her first appearance in court during ASAP Rocky's assault trial Wednesday, with the singer seated in the gallery as the downtown Los Angeles court heard key testimony about an alleged shooting that could send her rap star partner to prison for nearly 20 years. On the witness stand was Terell Ephron, a.k.a. ASAP Relli, a co-founder of ASAP Mob, the Harlem rap collective that helped launch Rocky's career. Ephron testified that he met up with Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021 in the hopes of fixing their broken friendship. Ephron said the two had drifted apart as Mayers' star rose and the other members of the crew struggled to find success. Aside from Mayers, most members of ASAP crew are now 'broke or bums,' Ephron previously testified. 'I call him Mr. Six Month Man, cause I'd see him once every six months … when he'd come around, he was fake. What are we supposed to be in this ASAP thing for?' Ephron asked. 'It was all smoke and mirrors.' Tensions between the two were high that night, Ephron testified, after he overheard Mayers insulting him on a phone call the day before. Ephron also erroneously believed Mayers had reneged on a promise to pay for the funeral of an ASAP collective member who had died of an overdose. Ephron said he was hoping to squash the beef with Mayers when they met near The W Hotel on the night of the shooting, but Mayers showed up with two other members of the ASAP crew and immediately sparked a confrontation. 'It was all like a movie … just the way he was walking ... the whole thing caught me off guard, like there was no time to talk,' Ephron said. Prosecutors have accused Mayers of shooting at Ephron, who suffered a graze wound on his hand. Mayers is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and faces a sentencing enhancement for using a gun in the alleged crime. Mayers has pleaded not guilty, with lawyers claiming the gun used in the encounter was a music video prop incapable of firing real bullets. When Mayers arrived for court around 9:45 a.m., he was flanked by his usual entourage and mobbed by media, but his paramour was nowhere in sight. Rihanna's presence in court wasn't confirmed until a little after 10 a.m., when she was spotted by reporters sitting among Mayers' family dressed in a black pea coat and sporting glasses. The 'Umbrella' singer could be seen watching Ephron's testimony intently. She is not a witness in the case, though her relationship to Mayers came up during jury selection. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold made no mention of her presence, and it was not clear if jurors were aware she was in court. Her representatives have not responded to prior requests for comments on the case. There is video of the confrontation between Mayers and Ephron, but it does not show the full incident. One clip shows a man in a hooded sweatshirt, who prosecutors and Ephron say is Mayers, grabbing Ephron around the head and neck, then pulling a gun from his waistband. Another shows the shooting from a distance but doesn't clearly show anyone's face, though it does capture audio of two loud pops that sound like gunshots. Mayers' defense attorney Joe Tacopina — who is likely to begin cross-examining Ephron on Thursday — has said the weapon was a 'prop gun' that only fired blanks. Ephron said Mayers pointed a gun at his head, face and chest as the two had a screaming match. Ephron insisted he had no intention for things to turn violent, claiming he didn't want to hurt his old friend or tank his career in the music industry. 'If I fight Rocky … I'm already not liked … so if I'm fighting him I'm definitely getting blackballed. All the labels like him and work with him,' Ephron said. The clash was interrupted when a couple walked by, according to Ephron. But just as things seemed to be settling down, Ephron said he saw one of the men Mayers brought with him — Jamel Phillips, a.k.a. ASAP 12vvy — putting away a knife. At that point, Ephron said, he felt betrayed and furious. 'I'm like oh hell no. So now I'm walking with them and I'm literally screaming out at the top of my lungs … how Rocky failed us, and how Jamel went on tour with Rocky for 8 or 9 years and he's back in the projects,' Ephron said. 'I knew I would never see this dude again ... I probably would have walked away if I hadn't seen the knife.'
