A$AP Rocky Faces Jury with No Black Members in Felony Assault Trial

Nationwide — A$AP Rocky will be judged by a jury of 12 in his felony assault trial, but none of the jurors are Black. The jury, selected in downtown L.A., consists of 7 women and 5 men, with no African-American representation.

Both Rocky and the alleged victim, A$AP Relli, are African-American, but the jurors are white, Asian, and Hispanic. Additionally, four female alternate jurors were selected. The trial will be presided over by Judge Mark Arnold, who is white.

According to TMZ, during jury selection, jurors were questioned about their familiarity with Rihanna, who shares two children with Rocky. Both the defense and prosecution had an equal say in selecting the jury, and race did not appear to be a decisive factor during the process.

Rocky faces two felony assault charges for allegedly shooting Relli with a semiautomatic firearm in 2022. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bond. If found guilty, he could face up to 24 years in prison. He rejected a plea deal offering a 180-day county jail sentence, which would have been reduced due to jail overcrowding.