ASAP Rocky’s trial for assault is wrapping up today, bringing with it some good news for the rapper and his fans. It turns out Rocky will not have to return to custody to await the verdict and in fact is even allowed to leave the country. Rocky previously pled “not guilty” to the charges of assault, for which prosecutors wanted him to serve six months in prison. See tweets from Maddy Savage, the British freelance reporter who has been covering the trial, below:
#ASAPRocky judge says verdict will be announced on 14 August 2019. The suspects DO NOT need to remain in custody until then
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
#ASAPRocky’s lawyer has just told me the suspects do not need to remain in Sweden while they await the verdict. https://t.co/1riuiyNhOt
— Maddy Savage (@maddysavage) August 2, 2019
According to Savage, “ASAP Rocky’s judge says verdict will be announced on 14 August 2019. The suspects DO NOT need to remain in custody until then.” A followup tweet after conferring with Rocky’s lawyer appears to confirm that “the suspects do not need to remain in Sweden while they await the verdict.” That means Rocky is free to go, for the most part.
Rocky’s unexpectedly extended stay in Sweden after a brawl on the streets of Stockholm has become something of a cause célèbre recently, with everyone from Rocky’s fellow artists to Donald Trump chiming in on the purported injustice surrounding his arrest and stay in Swedish custody. While Rocky claims that he acted in self-defense, the men he is accused of assaulting likewise claim that they were defending themselves from Rocky and his entourage. Rumors of “inhumane conditions” swirled around the arrest but were refuted by Swedish authorities and Rocky’s lawyer. The uncertainty of the situation prompted the Harlem rapper to cancel the remainder of his European tour dates and may have entitled him to recompense, but he says he just wants to see his family and take a shower.
