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By Erin Keller
Reporter (Live News)
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High-profile attorney Joe Tacopina, who is currently representing A$AP Rocky in his felony assault case, once also represented President Donald Trump.
Newsweek has contacted Tacopina by email for comment.
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Why It Matters
Tacopina, 58, is no stranger to headline-grabbing cases. The New York-based attorney has also represented rapper Meek Mill, baseball player Alex Rodriguez, and Donald Trump Jr.'s seemingly former fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Another famous client, Fox News host Sean Hannity, called Tacopina one of the "greatest defense attorneys of all time."
A$AP Rocky, 36, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The charges stem from a November 2021 incident in Hollywood, when A$AP Rocky allegedly fired a gun at former friend and fellow A$AP Mob member Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli.
If convicted on all charges, A$AP Rocky could get up to 24 years in prison. He denied a plea deal in court on Tuesday.
What To Know
Tacopina began representing Trump in early 2023. That March, Tacopina publicly acknowledged that Trump had lied to reporters about a hush money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair secret during the 2016 campaign.
Tacopina also represented Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump was not found liable for the rape claim but was liable for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll. Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million.
On January 15, 2024, Tacopina informed the court that he would no longer represent Trump in any cases, including the Manhattan hush money case and the appeal in the Carroll case. His filing also asked the judge to allow his partners to withdraw their services.
Tacopina declined to comment to multiple outlets at the time as to why he withdrew.
On January 26, 2024, a jury awarded Carroll an additional $83.3 million after Trump was found civilly liable for defaming and sexually abusing her.
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What People Are Saying
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said to multiple outlets about Tacopina's departure at the time: "President Trump has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined and overall strongest legal team ever assembled as he continues to fight for America and Americans against these partisan, crooked Joe Biden-led election interference hoaxes."
Former New Jersey Superior Judge Andrew Napolitano on Sid & Friends in the Morning radio show: "His [Tacopina's] cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll was textbook. I mean, so good that law students will study it in the future. He absolutely demonstrated the highest art of cross-examination, one of the finest modern cross-examinations I've ever seen."
Attorney Tim Parlatore, criticizing Tacopina's legal skills and specifically referring to the Carroll case, said: "He's essentially been on the shelf ever since he screwed up the first Jean Carroll case. He's very good at self-publicity, but not actually very good in the courtroom, and I think that that's something that we all saw during the Jean Carroll case. It's something that I warned them repeatedly—do not bring this guy in at all.
"I think he barely cross-examined Jean Carroll. He didn't call the witnesses that they had prepared and, obviously, he was put in a bad position because they didn't really do much, you know, good work in the discovery of that case. But here's a guy that probably hasn't tried a case in over 10 years coming in cold and barely cross-examining a witness."
What Happens Next
Jury selection in A$AP Rocky's trial resumes Tuesday in Los Angeles at 10:30 a.m. local time.
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Update 1/22/25 6:38 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional context.
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