On Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge denied Tory Lanez a new trial in the shooting of three-time Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion. In December, Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was found guilty of shooting the 28-year-old rapper in the foot. The dramatic incident occurred in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020, following a get-together at Kylie Jenner‘s home.
Legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff tweeted updates as the court proceedings happened in real-time. While pleading to the judge, who is also Black, to “not ruin his life,” Lanez reportedly said, “I could be your son, your brother.”
Lanez’s lawyer, Jose Baez, requested the initial bid for a new trial in April. According to FOX 11 LA, Baez argued that “procedural errors, prosecutorial misconduct, discovery violations and ineffective counsel led to his client’s conviction.” The 30-year-old rapper was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Additional charges included having a loaded, unregistered handgun in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
“The court finds no error, prosecutorial misconduct, or newly discovered evidence,” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford said. “Motion denied.”
Lanez’s lawyers also “filed a motion to disqualify Judge Herriford from Lanez’s case,” according to Cunniff, who tweeted that the judge “didn’t think he could issue his ruling until the motion was resolved” and ultimately disagreed.
During court proceedings, Baez complained “the court is boxing us in” before referring to Lanez’s former lawyer, George Mgdesyan, saying he “did not have enough time to prepare for trial and ultimately failed Lanez.”
In April, the Canadian-born rapper posted a statement on Instagram addressing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. “Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit,” part of his statement read. “I was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial.”
Lanez also captioned his post: “Until my court date I’ll be posting the OUTRAGEOUS & DISGUSTING INJUSTICES used against me by the PROSECUTION to get the conviction they so DESPERATELY wanted, DESPITE the evidence they knew existed.”
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As Blavity reported, Megan Thee Stallion testified that Lanez told her to “dance, b***h,” and she “had no doubt” Lanez shot her. She also stated he offered her $1 million to stay silent.
Lanez has remained in police custody since late 2022; his sentencing date is June 13, 2024. He faces anywhere from nine to 22 years and eight months in prison.
