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A$AP Rocky will not take the stand at his trial over two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and the defense rested its case Tuesday without calling him to testify.
The 36-year-old hip-hop star said “Absolutely, your honor” when asked by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold if he had discussed the issue with his lawyers, and said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right to silence.
Closing arguments at the three-week trial will be Thursday morning, and jurors could begin deliberating by that afternoon.
Rocky's attorney Joe Tacopina said before the trial that Rocky was “eager to tell his story. He would love the opportunity to do so," but subjecting a defendant to a difficult cross-examination is often a major gamble in criminal cases.
The New York native is fighting felony assault charges from 2021 when he allegedly fired a gun directed at a former friend A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terrell Efron, in Hollywood.
Rocky faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted, after turning down a pre-trial plea deal that could have led to just 180 days in jail.
Dillon, N. (2025, February 11). A$AP rocky declines to testify as jurors told they can consider ‘self-defense’. Yahoo News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-rocky-won-t-testify-183737337.html