Rihanna is reportedly planning to attend A$AP Rocky’s upcoming trial, showing her support as he faces serious legal trouble amid concerns over the jury selection. According to TMZ, the singer intends to be present in court on Wednesday, January 29th, though her plans could still change.
One major point of controversy surrounding the trial is the jury selection. TMZ reports that the 12-person jury consists of seven women and five men, none of whom are Black. Instead, the jury includes white, Asian, and Latino individuals. The four alternate jurors are all white women. This has raised concerns, as both Rocky and the alleged victim, former A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli, are Black.
While neither the prosecution nor Rocky’s defense team has formally objected to the jury’s makeup, civil rights leader Al Sharpton has spoken out about the lack of Black representation.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” Sharpton wrote on X. He criticized the jury selection process, noting, “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 has called on the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure Rocky receives fair treatment under the law.
Rocky is 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. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison. He recently rejected a plea deal that included probation, a suspended sentence, and jail time.
Leave a Reply