The case against A$AP Rocky entered its third day, today, with prosecutors wrapping up their case and asking the judge to consider a 6 to 10-month sentence.
The prosecution's case against Rocky seems to hinge on whether or not A$AP threw a bottle at Mustafa Jafari as he and his entourage beat the 19-year-old for harassing them.
Earlier this week, the prosecution bolstered its case with text messages from Rocky's assistant which suggested A$AP did beat Jafari with a bottle. However, today in court the defense was able to provide two eye-witnesses who said they never saw Rocky strike Jafari with the bottle. Rocky has admitted to picking up the bottle -- which is why there is video fo him holding it -- but denies hitting Jafari with it.
While we had been expecting a verdict this week, there's a good chance there won't be one until after the weekend. President Trump has demanded that Rocky and his two co-defendants be allowed to stay in a hotel as they await their fate. But prosecutors denied the President, adding that no country has ever made such a request in the past.
Here are some notes from the trial.
Prosecutors in #ASAPRocky assault charge case in Sweden have asked the court to convict, and consider a 6-month sentence
— Kim Hjelmgaard (@khjelmgaard) August 2, 2019
Based on similar crimes in Sweden in recent years, the prosecution is calling for a sentence of 6 - 10 months in jail for #ASAPRocky.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
Back in court listening to the prosecutor giving his closing arguments. He says the evidence points to glass bottles being used in the fight and argues that more violence took place *after* witnesses stopped filming. #ASAPRocky
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
Prosecutor is questioning defence's argument that #ASAPRocky & his crew were scared. Suggests that a bodyguard working for a "world-famous" artist should have known how to call the police in Sweden. And argues they could have sought help from people in the busy burger bar nearby.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
Prosector says #ASAPRocky and his crew had "every possibility" to leave the scene and that they were not in a position where they needed to use "self-defence"
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
Prosecution concludes that an "excess" of force was used by #ASAPRocky's crew of five - against the alleged victim and his one friend - & they should therefore be convicted of assault. Says it was not an "emergency" defence situation & the group had time to decide how to react.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
#ASAPRocky's lawyer has brought a prop with him into court for his closing statements, a green bottle, which he has put on the judge's desk. Remember, bottles are at the centre of this case. #ASAP's team admit picking them up, but not using them to attack the alleged victim.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
The alleged victim’s lawyer argued that the assault was carried out with "consensus". But ASAP Rocky’s lawyer says that the prosecution has failed to prove that there was any kind of coordinated crime plan.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
#ASAPRocky's lawyer says the US rapper decided on his own "whim" to get into a fight with the alleged victim and is showing video evidence in court to try and make his point. He's arguing hard that this wasn't a pre-meditated group assault.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
#ASAPRocky argues that the rapper could not see his crew when he pinned the alleged victim to the ground, and pulled back when the others showed up.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
This morning a female witness said she had seen #ASAPRocky hit the alleged victim after the period of time caught on various video evidence. But the rapper's lawyer has questioned if her memory can be trusted, 20 days after the fight.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
#ASAPRocky's lawyer showing photo of same brand of bottle prosecution claims was used in fight. It's a full-size cava bottle. He asks court to consider the damage it could do to someone (suggesting alleged victim's injuries would be more serious if such a bottle had been used)
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
The defence has argued that texts from #ASAPRocky's assistant imply that bottles were used in the fight. But the rapper's lawyer says these can't be used as evidence, since the woman was not called as a witness to explain the messages.
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019