ASAP Rocky returned to court this week to enter a plea in the ongoing assault case against him brought by former ASAP Mob member ASAP Relli, maintaining his innocence. Although he had previously pled not guilty to shooting Relli in the hand, after a judge ruled that prosecutors had enough evidence to warrant a trial, he was compelled to do so again. According to Rolling Stone, Rocky and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, hope that the trial can begin by September, so that the “DMB” rapper can focus on “enjoying his family.”
Who Is ASAP Rocky Accused Of Shooting?
Rocky is accused of shooting Relli in November 2021 after a confrontation over a mutual friend’s funeral expenses. Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, says that after he sent Rocky an email accusing him of being “fake,” he was ambushed by Rocky, who pulled a handgun on him. He said that after “talking a bunch of sh*t” to Rocky, the rapper turned around and fired several shots, with one hitting Relli in the hand.
Relli is also suing Rocky for assault, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Tacopina has characterized the accusations as a shakedown, an attempt to extort money from Rocky in exchange for Relli dropping the charges. While detectives recovered private security footage they say backs up Relli’s account, they have so far been unable to find any physical evidence that ties Rocky to the alleged crime. No guns were recovered and no fingerprints were found on the shell casings Relli says he collected from the scene.
Did ASAP Rocky Plead Not Guilty?
Not only did ASAP Rocky plead not guilty — twice — but he and Tacopina also maintain that they have evidence to back up their own insistence that Relli tried to extort Rocky and perjured himself in court by saying he never asked Rocky for money.
When Is ASAP Rocky’s Next Court Date?
ASAP Rocky is due back in court on March 6.
Source: https://uproxx.com/music/why-is-asap-rocky-in-court/