A$AP Rocky is set to face a jury of 12 in his felony assault trial, but none of the jurors are Black. The jury, selected in downtown L.A., includes 7 women and 5 men, with no African American representation. The jurors are a mix of white, Asian, and Hispanic individuals, and four female alternate jurors were also chosen. The trial will be overseen by Judge Mark Arnold, who is white.
Both Rocky and the alleged victim, A$AP Relli, are African American, which has raised some questions about the jury’s composition. During jury selection, potential jurors were asked about their familiarity with Rihanna, Rocky’s partner and mother of their two children. Both the defense and prosecution had equal input in selecting the jury, and race didn’t seem to be a major factor in the process.
Rocky faces two felony assault charges for allegedly shooting Relli with a semiautomatic firearm in 2022. He has pleaded not guilty and was released on bond. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison. He turned down a plea deal that would have meant a 180-day county jail sentence, with the possibility of being released early due to jail overcrowding.
