A$AP Rocky knows the jury he will have to win over in his shooting trial, but it will not feature any Black people.
According to TMZ, the 12-person jury is made up of seven women and five men who are either white, Asian or Latino.
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There are also four alternate jurors, all of whom are white women.
Both the accused perpetrator, Rocky, and the alleged victim, former friend and A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli, are Black.
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Neither Rocky’s legal team nor prosecutors have so far voiced any concerns regarding the jury selection process, but it has been a contentious point in the run up to the trial, which begins on Friday (January 24).
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton recently spoke out against the lack of Black representation in the jury pool, especially given Los Angeles’ racial diversity.
Good morning from Los Angeles, where A$AP Rocky just arrived about 10 minutes ago for opening statements in his gun assault trial.
Court is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am.
You can watch live: https://t.co/jHIu5ak7ifpic.twitter.com/5XM4TL8z9M
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 24, 2025
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week.
“When we have four (4) black people in the city of Los Angeles, out of one hundred and six (106) — and exactly zero (0) within the first thirty (30) possible candidates for the jury — something appears to be very wrong with the system.”
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He added: “I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky […] as is his Constitutional right.”
Sharpton has not yet commented on the final jury.
A$AP Rocky stands accused of shooting A$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.
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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 rapper’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, previously indicated that they would reject any plea agreement, saying: “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. Opening statements are expected on Friday morning.
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.”
