A Los Angeles jury found A$AP Rocky not guilty on both felony assault counts on February 18, 2025. The case concerned a November 2021 confrontation in Hollywood with former friend and collaborator Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli. The verdict resolved the criminal charges, but the jury did not publicly explain how it weighed the sharply different accounts of what happened.
What the jury decided
The jury acquitted Rakim Mayers, the rapper known as A$AP Rocky, of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The verdict came after a three-week trial and about three hours of deliberation, according to the Associated Press. It was a criminal verdict on those charges, not a civil finding.
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What happened in the 2021 confrontation
The charges arose from a November 6, 2021 encounter in Hollywood between Mayers and Ephron, his former friend and collaborator. Their accounts of the incident differed at trial.
The prosecution’s account
Prosecutors argued that Rocky fired two shots at Ephron during the confrontation. Ephron testified that a bullet grazed his knuckle. Those were the prosecution’s allegations and Ephron’s testimony; the acquittal did not establish that they were true or false.
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The defense’s account
The defense argued that the object was a prop gun that fired blanks and that Rocky acted to protect himself or another person. That was the defense position, not a factual finding made by the jury.
Why the verdict does not settle the factual dispute
The weapon was never recovered, and jurors gave no public explanation for their decision. The Associated Press reported that jurors did not have to agree on the same reasoning, provided they reached the same verdict. The acquittal therefore does not prove that the gun was fake or that Rocky acted in self-defense; it means the jury found him not guilty on both charged counts.
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What Rocky and the district attorney said
As jurors left after the verdict, Rocky told them, “Thank y’all for saving my life.” Judge Mark Arnold then said, “Mr. Mayers, you’re excused,” according to the Associated Press.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office respected the jury’s decision and remained committed to accountability “for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence,” the Associated Press reported.
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How much prison time was reported as possible?
Contemporaneous coverage differed on the maximum sentence Rocky faced if convicted. The Associated Press reported that he risked more than 24 years; the Los Angeles Times reported a maximum of up to 20 years. These are outlet-specific estimates, not a single agreed figure.
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