As A$AP Rocky‘s assault trial heads into opening statements, prosecutors want to ensure that any prospective jurors’ Rihanna fandom won’t get in the way.
Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty
Jury selection is complete Rocky’s trial after the rapper turned down a plea deal, making the decision to fight the gun charges he’s facing. According to TMZ, potential jurors were asked a ton of questions about both Rocky and his longtime love, Rihanna, during the selection process. The questions reportedly included whether they’ve heard of either star, listened to their music, or downloaded any of their songs.
Potential jurors were also asked if they’ve bought any of Rihanna’s products like Fenty Beauty or Savage X Fenty, according to the outlet. The prosecution also asked the jury pool if they could come to a fair and impartial verdict if Rihanna happened to be sitting in the courtroom.
Now that the jury has been selected, the gender split is almost right down the middle: 7 women and 5 men. However, as pointed out by TMZ, there is there’s not a single Black juror, which is especially weird given Los Angeles’ diverse population.
Both Rocky and the alleged victim are Black, while the jurors that have been selected are white, Asian and Hispanic. Four alternate jurors who were selected are all women, none of them Black. According to AP, “those chosen include a woman who is a podcast editor and actor, and a man who has worked for more than 20 years at Trader Joe’s. The last alternate seated is a retired judge.”
Opening statements will begin on Friday after the jurors are sworn in. This comes after Rocky turned down a prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail, instead risking years in prison if he is found guilty of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer says he committed no crime.
As Rocky goes to trial on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, he faces a penalty of up to 24 years in prison.
A$AP Rocky is accused of firing three or four shots at Terell Ephron, better known as A$AP Relli, on the streets of Hollywood in 2021. Ephron said the shots fired by his longtime friend grazed his knuckles, while Rocky has pleaded not guilty. The rapper’s lawyers say he wasn’t even holding a real gun, but a starter pistol he used as a prop.
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