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Tory Lanez is set to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday where his attorneys are expected to argue for a new trial for the Canadian rapper.
Lanez was convicted in Dec. 2022 of felony assault in the shooting of fellow hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion. His attorneys, Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma, filed a motion for a new trial in March, arguing in part that certain evidence presented at trial and some statements made by witnesses on the stand were prejudicial to their client.
They include an Instagram post where Lanez’s verified account commented on the case and a photo of Lanez’s gun tattoo.
The new motion comes after Lanez felt his original legal team was “ineffective counsel,’ and since then has hired lawyers Matthew Barhoma and Jose Baez. Lanez, née Daystar Peterson’s, new legal reps are working to present fresh DNA evidence to the jury and Judge David Herriford that they believe can exonerate Lanez from his detainment in prison.
The motion, which was obtained by ABC News, also takes issue with the forensic testing and claims that Lanez’s right to counsel of his choice was violated.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting this case, filed a motion on April 6 asking the judge to deny the defense’s request for a new trial. Prosecutors are set to argue against the motion for a new trial during the hearing on Monday.
Tory Lanez could be sentenced within a month of Monday’s hearing
The judge indicated during an April 17 hearing that if the motion for a new trial is denied, the rapper will be sentenced within 30 days of Monday’s hearing.
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted on Dec. 23, 2022, for shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, in an incident in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. The rapper is facing up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.
ABC News reports he was initially set to be sentenced in January, but the sentencing has been delayed several times after he obtained new attorneys.
“Please don’t ruin my life. I could be your son. I could be your brother,” Lanez reportedly begged the judge, according to Cuniff. She also noted that Herriford is a Black judge.
Lanez was found guilty by a jury on all three felony counts filed against him – assault with a semi-automatic firearm (personal use of a firearm), carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Lanez, who chose not to take the witness stand, pleaded not guilty during the trial and his defense team argued that he was not the shooter
This case sparked intense debates over society’s treatment of women, and Pete’s account of the incident — and the intense public vitriol she faced after sharing her story — has spotlighted the Protect Black Women movement, which addresses the two-front battle of sexism and racism Black women experience.
Pete, who testified during the trial and named Lanez as her shooter, broke her silence on the shooting following the trial in an interview for her May 2023 Elle Magazine cover story.
“I don’t want to call myself a victim,” she said. “As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable. Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
In Sept. 2022, Megan Thee Stallion launched a site for others to handle their mental health called “Bad B***hes Have Bad Days Too, full of mental health resources ranging from therapy directories to crisis hotlines.