A$AP Rocky's Lawyer Joe Tacopina Got His Client Acquitted of Serious Charges

The news that A$AP Rocky had been found not guilty in his assault trial caused quite a bit of attention, in part because the rapper's career had been so derailed by the allegations against him. Now, following the news that he was acquitted, many want to know more about his lawyer, Joe Tacopina.

After the verdict was handed down, Joe spoke to the press about his relationship with the famous rapper, and about why the verdict landed the way it did. Here's what we know about Joe and where he comes from.

Joe Tacopina is a high-profile criminal defense attorney who also works as a sports executive. Joe has become known for representing high-profile criminal defendants like A$AP Rocky. Prior to representing A$AP, Joe had also worked with Alex Rodriguez, Michael Jackson, Meek Mill, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Dan Snyder, the former owner of the Washington Commanders.

Recently, he also represented Donald Trump in several New York court cases.

Joe's work with Trump involved defending him in the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll in which he was found liable for committing assault, and in the fraud case where he was convicted on 34 felony counts. While Joe clearly doesn't win every case he takes on, he has made a name for himself as the defense attorney that many celebrities want in their corner no matter what they might be accused of.

A$AP Rocky's trial was over allegations that he had shot at a former friend A$AP Trelli when the two met up in 2021. The rapper has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and Joe's defense revolved in part around suggestions that Trelli had motivations to lie about the incident.

“They saw through this mirage of a case,” Joe said of the jury who acquitted him, per AP News. “He turned down a plea for almost no jail time because he was innocent.”

Rihanna was on hand for the reading of the verdict, but Joe said that A$AP didn't want him there in case he was convicted and taken into custody.

“There was a moment when before we heard the words from the clerk, he didn’t know if he was going to be spending the next two decades in jail or going home,” Joe added. After the not-guilty verdict was read, A$AP actually leaped into the crowd.

“I didn’t know how athletic he was,” he said. “That was raw emotion, you guys got to see that. Even for us, it was insane."

Joe's success in this case will likely only propel him onto even more high-profile clients, although it's hard to see how you could become much more high profile than he is now.

Every person who stands accused is entitled to the best possible defense. It seems that, for many of the most famous in well-connected people in the world, that defense is coming from Joe and his team.