January 23, 2025
Al Sharpton Wonders Why A$AP Rocky Only Received 4 Black Jurors For His Assault Trial
Rev. Al Sharpton criticizes the underrepresentation of Black people on A$AP Rocky's jury.
Rev. Al Sharpton is raising concerns about the lack of Black jurors in A$AP Rocky’s upcoming trial for assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The Grammy-nominated rapper is headed to trial after pleading not guilty to felony charges and rejecting a plea deal. However, Sharpton has learned that out of 106 people selected to possibly serve as jurors, only four were Black.
“It has been brought to my attention, by the National Action Network Los Angeles office, that out of one hundred and six (106) people called to potentially sit as jurors in A$AP Rocky’s trial in Los Angeles, there are only 4 black people,” Sharpton tweeted on Wednesday.
“I have been closely in touch with A$AP Rocky’s friends, and though I do not know the particulars of the trial, I do know he deserves to be judged fairly by his peers, as is his Constitutional right.”
Jury selection began Tuesday at Los Angeles County Superior Court for Rocky’s trial (real name Rakim Mayers), two years after his LAX arrest. The rapper is charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm stemming from a November 2021 incident involving A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli (Terell Ephron).
Ephron has also filed a civil lawsuit against Mayers and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, alleging defamation. According to reporter Meghann Cuniff, Rocky rejected a plea deal offering 180 days in jail, choosing instead to go to trial. His lawyer stated that the rapper is eager to “tell his story.”
Now, amid the jury selection, Sharpton is calling out the lack of “fair and representative” jurors for the father of two.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” Sharpton added in his tweet. “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 in the first thirty (30) possible candidates for the jury — something appears to be very wrong with the system.”
Sharpton continued. “I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky.”
Judge Mark Arnold stated at a pretrial hearing his intention to expedite jury selection.
“I will let the jurors know that regardless of who a defendant is, whether they’re the richest person in the world or the poorest person, everybody is to be treated the same,” he said.
If convicted, A$AP Rocky faces up to nine years in prison.
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