The judge in ASAP Rocky’s ongoing Los Angeles trial has instructed those in court to start using the phrase “the n-word” in place of the actual word.
As seen in a moment highlighted by independent court reporter Meghann Cuniff on Thursday (Jan. 30), ASAP Relli, who accused Rocky of firing a gun at him in 2021, was on the stand being asked about text messages that contained the word. Rocky’s lawyer used the word multiple times as he quoted from the texts in question. The word had also been used earlier in the trial, which began last week with Rocky rejecting a plea deal.
At one point in the clip below, Rocky’s voice is heard saying, “Your honor, can we refrain?” before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold seemingly interjects and instructs him to raise his concern with his legal team. Later, Arnold addressed the court and laid out how the use of the word should be handled moving forward.
“In the future, and this is for all counsel, if there’s any exhibit or any recording that has the n-word, I want you in court to say ’n-word,’” Arnold said. “I don’t want you to say what it says. It’s the ’n-word’ from now on … That applies to everybody.”
Rocky is charged in the case with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty. As Shawn Setaro broke down for Complex earlier in the trial, there has been no shortage of in-court surprises, including the sudden reveal of a one-page ballistics report from LAPD. Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, whose past clients include Donald Trump and Michael Jackson, was highly critical of this development, going so far as to say there was “no way to proceed” with the case.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this upset in a courtroom in my whole career,” Tacopina told the judge.
This week, Rihanna showed support for Rocky by making an appearance in court. Rocky and RiRi have two children together, sons RZA and Riot Rose.
