Share this @internewscast.com

LOS ANGELES — A$AP Rocky could learn Monday whether he will be ordered to trial on allegations that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel.

A Los Angeles judge is set to hear evidence Monday against the 35-year-old rap star and father of two children with Rihanna as he decides whether he should stand trial on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that outside the W. Hotel in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, Rocky pointed a handgun at Terell Ephron, then in a confrontation soon after fired shots that grazed Ephron’s knuckles and left him with minor injuries.

At the first day of the hearing earlier this month, Ephron, who once went by A$AP Relli, testified that he and Rocky were close friends as teens along with the other members of the A$AP collective, a group of New York high school students who sought to make music and pursue other art forms.

He said their friendship lasted until well after Rocky became a star, but began to fray after he felt that Rocky had failed to follow through on promised business ventures and had neglected the other members of their high school collective, who were having difficult lives. The tension came to a head when the shots were fired in 2021, he said.

Prosecutors also played surveillance video that captured part of the incident. It appears to show Rocky brandishing a gun and possibly firing it, though his lawyers deny that he did so.

Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April, and charged in August. He attended the Nov. 8 hearing, as is generally required in felony cases, and is expected to be in court Monday.

He is a two-time Grammy nominee whose first two studio albums in 2013 and 2015 both went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

He has released little music in recent years, and has become better known as the romantic partner, fellow fashion influencer and co-parent of Rihanna, with whom he had a second son in May.

Rocky also became an unlikely cause for then-President Donald Trump, who said he was trying to get the rapper freed and returned to the U.S. when he was jailed after a brawl in Sweden in 2019. He was found guilty of assault at trial but was given a “conditional sentence” that meant no additional jail time.

Now, Rocky is being represented in the Los Angeles case by Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, who representing the ex-president in his New York criminal case and others.

Tacopina took on Ephron in contentious cross-examination during his Nov. 8 testimony, suggesting with his questioning that Ephron was fabricating the incident for financial gain because he has also filed a civil lawsuit.

In California courts, preliminary hearings like these are a sort of miniature version of a trial, with only a judge deciding whether sufficient evidence exists to move forward. The standard of proof for doing so is far lower than what’s required for criminal guilt.

Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar could make a decision on moving forward to trial as early as Monday, though the testimony or his ruling could take longer.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Trial for Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin will test new judge in ‘career-defining moment,’ attorneys say

High-Stakes Trial for Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Puts New Judge in Spotlight: A Career-Defining Moment

Two attorneys from Utah have expressed confidence that the newly appointed Judge…
Japan’s first female PM to meet Trump: What to know about the heavy metal fan

Japan’s Trailblazing Female PM Set to Meet Trump: Discover Her Unique Connection to Heavy Metal

As President Donald Trump touched down in Japan on Monday, he wasted…
Jews differ on both Zionism and Mamdani

Diverse Jewish Perspectives: Debating Zionism and Mamdani’s Views

American Jews today are at a crossroads, contemplating the direction their collective…
FBI: Man Arrested After Offering to Pay $45K for Murder of Pam Bondi

Shocking FBI Bust: Man’s $45K Murder Plot Against Pam Bondi Exposed

A St. Paul, Minnesota man is facing charges after allegedly posting a…
Biden calls these 'dark days' as he urges Americans to 'get back up'

President Biden’s Urgent Call: How America Can Rise from the ‘Dark Days

Former President Joe Biden described the current period as “dark days,” urging…
Israeli Settler Violence Across the West Bank

Escalating Tensions: Israeli Settler Incidents Surge in the West Bank

A new investigative report from Haaretz exposes a shocking escalation of settler…
Trump offers new warning on Tylenol for pregnant women

Trump Raises Concerns Over Tylenol Use During Pregnancy: A New Cautionary Alert

In a recent statement, former President Donald Trump reiterated his caution against…
Judge calls Queens man who killed mother, brother ‘demon seed’ during sentencing

Queens Man Sentenced for Tragic Family Killings, Judge Delivers Harsh Rebuke

A Queens resident found guilty of the vicious killings of his mother…
Many voters say health care unaffordable, are open to new insurance system: Poll

Poll Reveals Voter Concerns Over Unaffordable Health Care, Signals Openness to New Insurance Models

A recent poll reveals a significant concern among voters regarding the affordability…
ICE nabs 3-time deported illegal alien charged with assaulting a police officer: 'GOOD RIDDANCE'

ICE Apprehends Repeat Offender Accused of Assaulting Officer

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed on Monday that Immigration and…
Hurricane Melissa now rare Category 5 storm as it closes in on historic, catastrophic landfall in Jamaica

Rare Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Approaches Jamaica with Potential for Historic Impact

On Monday, Hurricane Melissa surged to a formidable Category 5, inching closer…
Fort Worth police and Good Samaritans rescue baby trapped under vehicle on interstate

Fort Worth Heroes: Police and Good Samaritans Unite to Save Baby Trapped Under Vehicle on Interstate

In Fort Worth, Texas, police officers are being celebrated as heroes after…