Grammy Nominated Rapper A$AP Rocky: Trial Overview

By Elijah Simon ‘27

On January 24, 2025, Rakim Mayers, known by his stage name A$AP Rocky, sat down in court. He was facing two counts of California Penal Code Section 245(b) - Assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Thus, this trial, especially for the award-winning rapper’s fans, has become a gateway to following court proceedings on assault.

Before discussing why Rakim Mayers ended up in court, we must first discuss the difference between assault and battery. Despite these definitions coming from the California penal code, the definitions of assault and battery remain consistent throughout every state. Assault is an intentional act that makes another person reasonably fear imminent harmful or offensive contact. Meanwhile, battery is an application of force upon another person or personal belongings, causing bodily injury or offensive contact.

Rakim Mayers faced trial for his actions on November 6, 2021, when he got into a heated exchange with his former friend Terell Ephron. That was when he allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic firearm and shot at Mr. Ephron twice. These two shots grazed Mr. Ephron’s knuckle, causing injury. All of this occurred on a sidewalk in Hollywood, California. District Attorney Gascón reacted to the situation by saying, “Discharging a gun in a public place is a serious offense that could have ended with tragic consequences not only for the person targeted but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood.” 

Considering Ephron’s injuries, it may appear odd that Rakim Mayers is being charged with assault and not battery. Well, this is pretty common in the legal world. Oftentimes, if someone is accused of battery, they will also be charged with assault. However, if the prosecution wants a better chance of winning, they will sometimes choose a lesser charge. That is how John Lewin, the State's veteran prosecutor, brought forth two counts of felony assault against Mr. Mayers in the State of California. A count for each time he fired his semiautomatic firearm. Although he could have faced 24 years in prison, prosecutors only sought out nine.

As a public figure facing such high-stakes charges, it’s in the court's interest to assemble an impartial jury. The prosecutor, John Lewin, would question potential jurors on their knowledge of the famous rapper. He would even ask questions about their understanding of his long-time partner, Robyn Rihanna Fenty. After this long deliberation, the court selected 12 jurors. Despite nine percent of Los Angeles County's population being black, none of these 12 jurors were. This discrepancy has become controversial, with both parties in this case being black. That being said, there is little evidence of explicit discrimination. On top of that, Batson v. Kentucky held that excluding jurors based on race is unconstitutional.

After Rakim Mayers sat down in court, he pleaded “not guilty,” backed by his attorney, Joe Tacopina, who specializes as a high-stakes defense attorney with big-name clients. Notable figures include President Donald J. Trump and Michael Jackson. In this case, the famous rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted of all charges. 

Despite the theatrics, this is not the end of Rakim Mayers' day in court. He is still facing a civil lawsuit from Terell Ephron. This civil suit is likely an attempt to get something rather than nothing. Because the burden of proof is lower, preponderance of the evidence, Terrel will have a better chance of winning a civil case. The preponderance of the evidence means that it is more likely than not that Rakim Mayers did what he did. If the jury is more than 50 percent sure that Rakim Mayers is liable, he will be found so. Meanwhile, in this case, the state had to prove Mr. Mayers’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The difference between trying someone with a civil lawsuit and a criminal conviction can be famously seen in O.J. Simpson’s criminal case, California v. Orenthal James Simpson, and his civil case, Fred Goldman v. Orenthal James Simpson. In that instance, he was found not guilty in criminal court but liable in civil. 

After this trial’s resolution, fans and non-fans await further information on the presented civil case. As media coverage continues and the spotlight continues to shine down on this Grammy-nominated rapper, jury selection can only get harder. With that comes the struggle of how public opinion affects public figures. Nevertheless, we can only have faith that our peers will be fair with the facts presented. 

Elijah Simon is a sophomore majoring in Political Science.

Sources

Burke, Ramero. (2025, February 18).  Jury finds rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty in gun assault trial. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/asap-rocky-shooting-gun-assault-trial-verdict-rcna191822

Centeno. (2025, February 24).  A$AP Rocky's Lawyer Talks Prop Gun Defense, Rocky's Next Album & More. iHeart. https://www.iheart.com/content/2025-02-24-asap-rockys-lawyer-talks-prop-gun-defense-rockys-next-album-more/

Leginfo. (N.D.).  PENAL CODE - PEN | PART 1. OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS| TITLE 8. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON. California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=245

Shouse Law Group. (N.D.). Penal Code § 240 PC – California Assault Law. Shouse Law. https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/penal-code/240/

Santiago. (2022, August 15).  Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky Charged With Assaulting Former Friend. Los Angelas County District Attorney's Office. https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/rakim-mayers-aka-aap-rocky-charged-assaulting-former-friend

Tacopina. (N.D.).  Joseph Tacopina | Founder, Lead Trial Attorney. Tacopina Law. https://www.tacopinalaw.com/attorney/joseph-tacopina/