ASAP Rocky's assault trial picked back up today, and according Meghann Cuniff, things took an explosive turn. In a tweet shared by the legal reporter this afternoon, she detailed a "chaotic" scene that unfolded in the courtroom while the jury was gone. According to her, Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina got into a shouting match with Deputy District Attorney John Lewin over the rapper's defense strategy. Last week, it was reported that a witness plans to testify that Rocky had a prop gun on him the night he's accused of shooting at ASAP Relli.
Apparently, Lewin called this defense "garbage," and Tacopina fired back by saying they'll see what the jury thinks of it. Cuniff notes that the exchange got "really heated." This isn't the first time Lewin took issue with Rocky's prop gun defense. He previously complained about how long it took Rocky's team to inform the prosecution of it. “This is a straight ambush,” he said at the time per Cuniff, also describing the witness as someone they'd “never been able to talk to.”
ASAP Rocky's Lawyer Joe Tacopina Gets Into it With Deputy District Attorney John Lewin
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold seemed to have similar feelings about the defense, reminding everyone that any oral or written statements from potential witnesses must be disclosed at least 30 days ahead of trial. “I don’t think it’s fair that he waited until this long to disclose the starter pistol. I just don't believe that you’re playing fair,” he told Tacopina. This is far from the first time Rocky's trial has gotten heated, as earlier this week, Relli also had an outburst in court.
"Why are you showing my Instagram? I'm already getting death threats," he asked. "[People] threatening my daughter, like, what's going on here?…Because you're saying I'm an extortionist. You putting my whole life on…This is getting really annoying. What does this have to do with the case?" Relli additionally expressed frustration over Rocky "staring" at him.
