A$AP Rocky‘s mom seemingly has quite the admirer in the judge overseeing the rapper’s trial for allegedly shooting A$AP Relli.
Legal Affairs and Trials reporter Meghann Cuniff was in court for the second day of jury selection in the case on Wednesday (January 22). She revealed that both Rocky’s sister and mother joined him in the court room – which prompted Judge Mark S. Arnold to ask who the new attendees were.
Upon Rocky replying, “That’s my mother and my sister,” his lawyer added, “You can’t tell, right, which one’s the mom?”
Judge Arnold then asked the rapper’s mother: “You must have had him when you were about seven?”
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After responding that she was 26 at the time, Judge Arnold added, “You are very beautiful. That’s on the record.”
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold to A$AP Rocky’s mother:
“You must have had him when you were about 7?”
Rocky’s mother tells the judge she was 26.
“You are very beautiful. That’s on the record,” Judge Arnold says.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 22, 2025
Later that day, it was revealed that only four Black people were in the pool of 106 potential jurors for A$AP Rocky’s case – which prompted a response from Rev. Al Sharpton.
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“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” he wrote on X.
“When we have four (4) black people in the city of Los Angeles, out of one hundred and six (106) — and exactly zero (0) within the first thirty (30) possible candidates for the jury — something appears to be very wrong with the system.”
Sharpton added: “I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky […] as is his Constitutional right.”
Rocky and his legal team have not voiced any issues with jury selection themselves and the final jurors has not yet been finalized.
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The rapper stands accused of shooting former friend and A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron) during a dispute in Hollywood in November 2021.
He has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
Rocky recently turned down a plea deal that would have seen him be sentenced to three years’ probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence and 180 days in county jail.
The fact that he rejected the plea was not a surprise as Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, previously said: “From our side, we have no interest in a settlement. My client has indicated he’s not willing to take anything.”
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Tacopina also recently revealed some elements of his defense for the upcoming trial, which is expected to last 15 days.
He said they have two witnesses who are ready to testify that the gun seen on security footage was a prop gun that Rocky carried “for security reasons.”