Davis, a former member of Compton's South Side Crips gang who had long boasted of taking part in the infamous murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur has pleaded not guilty.
Despite not being the man wielding the weapon in the Las Vegas gang feud, Duane "Keefe D" Davis, 60, was charged with murder in September.
Davis has openly admitted his role in the killing, boasting that he was the "on-site commander" in the plot to assassinate Shakur and Death Row Records head Marion "Suge" Knight in retaliation for an assault on his nephew.
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He disputed the accusation of murder with a dangerous weapon with the aim to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang during a court hearing in Las Vegas.
"Not guilty," Davis replied when District Judge Tierra Jones asked for his plea.
Anyone who aids or abets a murder can be prosecuted for the crime, much as a getaway driver can be charged with bank robbery even if he never entered the bank.
Prosecutors stated Thursday that if Davis is convicted, they will not pursue the death sentence.
Shakur, the best-selling hip-hop musician, was assassinated on September 7, 1996. He was only 25 years old. He was signed to Death Row Records, which was affiliated with the Los Angeles street gang Mob Piru at the time, which had a long-running feud with the South Side Compton Crips.
Prosecutors stated shortly after Davis' arrest that what happened on the night of the crime had been substantially understood for many years. Still, they lacked sufficient admissible evidence to move the case further.
That began to change when Davis, who was reputedly the only person in the car that night who survived, published an autobiography and appeared on a TV show to discuss the murder.
Wolfson stated that previous statements made by Davis would be reviewed throughout the trial.
He said that he knew the matter was gaining international attention but that it would not affect how it was handled.
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