A$AP Rocky's Trial: Jury Composition Raises Eyebrows

A$AP Rocky’s Trial: Jury Composition Raises Eyebrows

According To Hip Hop DX:

LOS ANGELES, CA – A$AP Rocky knows the jury he will have to win over in his shooting trial, but it will not feature any Black people. According to TMZ, the 12-person jury is made up of seven women and five men who are either white, Asian or Latino. There are also four alternate jurors, all of whom are white women.

Both the accused perpetrator, Rocky, and the alleged victim, former friend and A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli, are Black.

Neither Rocky’s legal team nor prosecutors have so far voiced any concerns regarding the jury selection process, but it has been a contentious point in the run up to the trial, which begins on Friday (January 24).

Civil rights leader Al Sharpton recently spoke out against the lack of Black representation in the jury pool, especially given Los Angeles’ racial diversity.

“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week.

“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.”

He added: “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 […] as is his Constitutional right.”

Sharpton has not yet commented on the final jury.

A$AP Rocky stands accused of shooting A$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, and faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.

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