Los Angeles (AP) – The rapper’s trial A $ AP Rocky progresses according to the standard legal procedure, but there were no unusual moments, visits to Rihanna to a judge and a judge and difficult lawyers but who have almost had any blows.
The testimony should last another week before the jurors decide the Rocky fate on two assault chiefs with a semi-automatic firearm. A conviction could cause up to 24 years in prison for the hip-hop star.
Here are some of the moments outside the end of the first two weeks of the trial, the most captured by the cameras in the courtroom.
While waiting for Rihanna
From the moment it became clear that the case was going to be judged, almost all the people involved asked for the same thing: what about Rihanna?
The publishers asked him for journalists, who asked him for lawyers. Even judge Mark Arnold asked for months ago during a hearing: “Will the mother of her children be there?”
His name appeared constantly when selecting the jury, when future panelists were requested if his attendance would affect their judgment.
Yet when The singing superstar finally presented itselfIt was easy to miss.
She did not appear during the first week, but rumors abounded Wednesday that she could appear, during a short day of judgment with an important testimony. However, there was no sign of it outside or in the corridors. (Unlike a nearby civil courthouse, where celebrities like Britney Spears and the Kardashians are introduced in smuggling, Rocky and other accused must Use public entries And many thought she was accompanying him.)
When the media were authorized in the courtroom, many journalists exceeded it without noticing that she was already discreet between the mother and sister of Rocky. It had been brought by limited entries. It could barely be seen in the media section, and the camera capturing the test is not allowed to shoot the public.
His presence caused silent agitation once the public has made it, although it was not clear if the jurors had noticed it.
She appeared again the next day, and he soon felt almost non -exceptional that she was there. Friday, she slipped about 30 minutes of testimony after spending a public entrance.
Later in the day, she entered the courtroom with Rocky for the first time, in a corridor full of jurors of her cases and others who were in effervescence.
Lawyers in the octagon
Court observers knew that when Deputy Prosecutor John Lewin joined the accusation shortly before the trial, as he and the equally optimistic and vocal lawyer of Rocky, Joe Topina, were sure to make heads. They were not wrong.
Lewin, a dark prosecutor Robert Durst. Tacopina is a New York lawyer and a frequent television commentator that customers have included President Donald Trump.
Defense lawyer Joe Tacopina. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)
Their shouting matches started quickly. Soon, without a judge or jury, the two had to be separated by a colleague lawyer when they became from nose to nose in a game that seemed to become a handgun.
“Mr. Tacopina began to cry literally in the courtroom. He essentially seemed to challenge me to a fight,” Lewin told the judge later.
Tacopina replied. “No one has shouted. You weren’t there your honor. Mr. Lewin offers his little rumbled and intimidating attitude. »»
Arnold, a former sheriff deputy, prohibited both from talking to each other except in the file.
A few moments later, he said that a UFC fight could be justified. “Maybe we should get an octagon.”
Arnold was not bad either. An even fierce fight broke out between the two men before the judge, but outside the camera a few days later when they were arguing proofs. Lewin shouted that the affirmation of the Rocky defense wore a propeller gun was “garbage”.
“Oh?! Oh?!” Shouted Topina. “We will see what the jury says at the end!”
“The argument has become more out of control and turned to personal insults.
“You don’t know me!” But you will learn! Shouted Topina.
The disgusted judge refused to continue playing the referee.
“That’s all, we are off the record,” he said, and came out.
The quirks of the key witness
THE Testimony of $ AP RelliThe accuser of Rocky, was dark and difficult but brought some strangely light moments.
At one point, the deputy prosecutor of district Paul Przelomiec asked him how far Rocky was at some point.
“About three or four jumps,” said Rell.
“I have never heard of anyone who considers jumps,” said Przelomiec.
“Wait, what does a jump mean?” The judge asked.
“You don’t know what I mean?” Relli asked.
They determined for the record that it was about 7 to 8 feet.
Judge Mark S. Arnold (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)
Long hair for the judge and rough and robust mustaches evoke a biker or a cowboy. Its signage plate on the bench is a carved wooden log. Relli told him that he loved his style.
As he testified, Arnold told him that he should clearly say “yes” or “no” for the judicial stenographer.
Relli said sorry, he was nervous, then looking at the judge said, “I like your bracelet.”
“What?” Arnold said.
Relli pointed out the silver bracelet on the judge’s right arm. “Your bracelet.”
“Oh,” said the judge. “THANKS.”
A mother and a sister of $ AP at the trial
Rocky’s mother, Renee Black, and her sister, Erika Mayers, obtained their own share of attention even before Rihanna was charged with each other.
The first day they appeared, Arnold asked Rocky who were the women in his section.
“It’s my mother and my sister,” said Rocky. The judge was amazed at the juvenile appearance of Black.
“What were you, 7 when you had it?” The judge asked. She said she was 26 years old.
“You are very beautiful,” said the judge. “It’s on the disc.”
Lawin later approached women and spoke to them during a break. He said about Rocky: “I just hope he assess everything” in a reference to the Rocky agreement refused – a recommendation of 180 days in prison and other relatively minor sanctions for a guilt on guilt on guilt on A charm.
Tacopina raised him angry with the judge later, and Lewin explained himself.
“I very kindly went to the mother and sister of the defendants. I said, “I’m really sorry that you had to go through there. I hope your brother and son, he really assessed what he risks here. »»
The ghost photographer
During the selection of the jury, when the play was filled with potential tired and apparently annoyed jurors who were questioned one after the other, a woman started to everyone when she suddenly shouted: “There is a woman who takes a Photo in this corner! “
She showed a door with a small window behind the judge, who jumped in action, her flying dress. He and his clerk opened the door and rushed behind the corridor, but found no one.
The woman swore that she saw someone and tried to justify herself, but Arnold cut her.
“You did the right thing!” Arnold said. “You did well!”
They kept the window covered after that.
