Tory Lanez Habeas’s petitions in the Megan Thee Stallion Shooting case are denied by a California court
A California court denies two motions to reverse the rapper’s sentence.
More court challenges are being faced by Tory Lanez in his attempt to reverse his conviction in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Due to the rapper’s two separate petitions being officially dismissed by the California appellate court, his 10-year prison sentence remains in effect.
The 2023 and 2024 motions were part of Lanez’s effort to overturn the jury verdict from December 2022. Both asserted that there was fresh information or proof that wasn’t shown at his trial, but the judges weren’t persuaded.
Lanez said that the pistol connected to the case had been “lost” in the first petition, which prevented him from carrying out his own investigation. The gun, magazine, bullets, and pieces are still in police custody, according to a sworn affidavit from an LAPD officer, which the court used to dismiss that. The court pointed out that he never requested additional DNA testing during the trial and failed to provide an explanation of how it would establish his innocence.
According to expert testimony given during the trial, tests on the gun produced conflicting results, and Lanez’s DNA was not detected on the magazine. A neighbor’s eyewitness story, Megan Thee Stallion’s testimony, and a taped statement from Megan’s former closest friend Kelsey Harris indicating that Lanez was the shooter were all presented to the jury.
Jauquan Smith, Lanez’s driver, testified in the second petition that he saw the gun in Harris’s hands prior to the incident but was unable to identify the shooter. This suggested Harris was the gunman, according to Lanez’s attorneys. A purported statement from bodyguard Bradlie James that said Harris acknowledged shooting the gun was also cited in the petition. Harris refuted this in court and had already given prosecutors a statement bolstering Megan’s story.
According to the judges, Smith’s statement might have been used during the trial by Lanez’s attorneys, but they decided not to. James’ affidavit, they added, was too late and provided no justification for Lanez’s decision to file his habeas claims separately rather than all at once.
Lanez’s lawyers have not responded to the most recent decision. On Monday, they are anticipated to return to court for oral arguments in his direct appeal, arguing that he was not given a fair trial.
