A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to claims he fired a gun at former friend

nme.com:

A$AP Rocky has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to allegations that he fired a gun at his former friend and collaborator in 2021.The rapper, real name Rakim Mayers, is accused of pointing a handgun at Terell Ephron in November 2021 and firing the weapon in his direction in a subsequent confrontation.He pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm at a Los Angeles court yesterday (January 8).Superior Court Judge Karla Kerlin has set the next pre-trial date for March 6 and the court heard a trial must take place within 45 days after that date.Sitting in court wearing a grey suit with a white pin-striped shirt, the rapper wished the judge a Happy New Year and gave his lawyers authorisation to appear on his behalf without his attendance at future hearings.Outside court, defence lawyer Joe Tacopina said the rapper was confident he would be vindicated and was eager to get a trial “over with so he can start enjoying his family”, according to Rolling Stone.He could be handed a sentence of up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges, prosecutors claim.It comes after a Los Angeles judge had previously ruled there was enough evidence for the rapper to stand trial after hearing testimony at a previous preliminary hearing.In 2019, Rocky was detained in Stockholm on suspicion that he and his entourage had assaulted a man in a previous separate case.