ASAP Relli has brought on a new team of civil attorneys as he moves forward with his assault and battery lawsuit against ASAP Rocky, with the bench trial still scheduled for January 12 in Los Angeles.
During a hearing on Tuesday, per Rolling Stone, Judge William F. Fahey confirmed the trial date was “firm” as both sides prepare for mediation and pre-trial discovery battles. Relli’s new lawyers appeared via video conference after the Harlem native struggled to represent himself at a related hearing last month.
They told the court they have been “working diligently” to revive the case after his previous legal team stepped down following Rocky’s acquittal on related criminal charges earlier this year. In February, a jury found ASAP Rocky not guilty of felony assault for allegedly shooting Relli with a semiautomatic handgun during a dispute in Los Angeles in November 2021. Despite the criminal acquittal, Relli is continuing to pursue civil damages and claims he still suffers from “physical, mental, and emotional injuries.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Relli’s attorneys said he was willing to explore private mediation with a retired judge ahead of trial. Rocky’s lawyer, Wogai Mohmand, said her team was also open to discussions but preferred a more formal court-supervised process.
“We haven’t received any type of settlement offer from the plaintiff, so we thought an MSC would be more helpful, to help the parties resolve the case,” Mohmand told the court.
Judge Fahey ordered both sides to attempt private mediation first, giving them six weeks to choose a retired judge and meet. They must report back by December 10.
“Either you’re going to enjoy some success, or I’ll consider setting an MSC at that time,” Judge Fahey said. “We have a firm trial date about two months away. … We’re going to try to settle this case.”
In another sign that the court is holding firm to the January trial schedule, Judge Fahey granted Rocky’s motion to compel discovery from Relli and ordered him to pay $4,500 in sanctions for failing to respond properly to earlier requests.
Relli’s new legal team, which is led by Aaron Morris and Andrew Robertson, will also represent him in a separate defamation lawsuit against Rocky and his criminal defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina. Relli claims Tacopina defamed him by calling his shooting allegations part of “an extortion plan.”
If mediation fails, the January 12 civil trial will proceed without a jury, meaning the judge will decide the outcome. The next hearing in Relli’s defamation case is set for October 23.