Los Angeles Ruling Upholds Conviction of Tory Lanez for Megan Thee Stallion Shooting
A three-judge panel has upheld the conviction and 10-year prison sentence of rapper Tory Lanez, who was found guilty of shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion in a Los Angeles street attack last year. Lanez's lawyers had attempted to overturn the verdict on various grounds, but an appellate court ruling Wednesday rejected all their claims.
The judges ruled that Lanez's right to testify was unfairly chilled by the prospect that his own song lyrics and damaging evidence could be used against him during cross-examination. They also found that prosecutors did not engage in misconduct or mislead jurors with a recorded interview with Megan's former best friend, Kelsey Harris, who corroborated Megan's claims that Lanez was the shooter.
The appellate panel concluded that substantial evidence supported the trial court's finding that Megan Thee Stallion was a "particularly vulnerable" victim due to her unarmed state and the fact that she was wearing a bathing suit with her back turned when the shooting occurred. Prosecutors had argued that this factor justified the middle term of Lanez's sentence, which the panel found was correct.
Megan Thee Stallion gave harrowing testimony at Lanez's trial, describing her "terrified" reaction to the assault and admitting she lied about previously denying a non-exclusive relationship with Lanez. She also expressed regret for what happened, stating that she wishes Lanez had just shot and killed her rather than subjecting her to torture.
The chief resident of orthopedic surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center provided detailed testimony on Megan's gunshot wounds, which included four metallic bullet fragments embedded in her feet. A witness who lived on the street where the shooting occurred also testified that he saw Lanez firing a gun and heard an argument between the two women before shots were fired.
Lanez's lawyers did not immediately respond to comments requests from Rolling Stone, but it is known that Peterson was moved to the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo after being stabbed by a fellow inmate at another state prison earlier this year.
A three-judge panel has upheld the conviction and 10-year prison sentence of rapper Tory Lanez, who was found guilty of shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion in a Los Angeles street attack last year. Lanez's lawyers had attempted to overturn the verdict on various grounds, but an appellate court ruling Wednesday rejected all their claims.
The judges ruled that Lanez's right to testify was unfairly chilled by the prospect that his own song lyrics and damaging evidence could be used against him during cross-examination. They also found that prosecutors did not engage in misconduct or mislead jurors with a recorded interview with Megan's former best friend, Kelsey Harris, who corroborated Megan's claims that Lanez was the shooter.
The appellate panel concluded that substantial evidence supported the trial court's finding that Megan Thee Stallion was a "particularly vulnerable" victim due to her unarmed state and the fact that she was wearing a bathing suit with her back turned when the shooting occurred. Prosecutors had argued that this factor justified the middle term of Lanez's sentence, which the panel found was correct.
Megan Thee Stallion gave harrowing testimony at Lanez's trial, describing her "terrified" reaction to the assault and admitting she lied about previously denying a non-exclusive relationship with Lanez. She also expressed regret for what happened, stating that she wishes Lanez had just shot and killed her rather than subjecting her to torture.
The chief resident of orthopedic surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center provided detailed testimony on Megan's gunshot wounds, which included four metallic bullet fragments embedded in her feet. A witness who lived on the street where the shooting occurred also testified that he saw Lanez firing a gun and heard an argument between the two women before shots were fired.
Lanez's lawyers did not immediately respond to comments requests from Rolling Stone, but it is known that Peterson was moved to the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo after being stabbed by a fellow inmate at another state prison earlier this year.
so frustrated for Megan Thee Stallion and her family still dealing with all this trauma... 10 years feels like a really harsh sentence, especially considering she's already gone through so much 
. I'm glad the judges upheld the conviction but it's just such a sad reminder of how gun violence can have devastating consequences 
. And can we talk about how wild it is that Tory Lanez thought he could use his own lyrics as a defense 
? Like, no kidding, your own words can be used against you in court! It's crazy to think about the fact that Megan Thee Stallion was left with four bullet fragments in her feet and still managed to give such powerful testimony 
.
just saw the news about Tory Lanez's conviction and I'm SO relieved it was upheld 
I mean, can you even imagine being shot and having bullets lodged in your feet? 
it takes a lot of courage to admit when we're wrong, and she's clearly doing the right thing by owning up to lying about not having a relationship with Lanez. It's gonna take time for her to fully heal from this trauma, but at least justice was served 
. It's hard to imagine the pain she must have endured in those moments, and now accountability is being held 
.
and now he's payin the price, good riddance. I gotta give it up to Megan tho, she was so brave and honest during that trial, talk about a strong woman 
. And that witness who testified saw Lanez firin his gun, no way to get outta that one 
. Hope Lanez is servin time and not botherin anyone else in the future 
The system worked this time and I'm glad he's gonna do some serious time 
10 yrs is better than life in prison but still a long time to serve for someone who was so reckless. Maybe next time he'll think twice before pulling the trigger 
. The fact that Megan was wearing that bathing suit with her back turned, she really had no chance... poor girl 
i mean, it's not like tory lanez didn't have his chance to defend himself and make his case - he chose to take the stand and basically admitted to the whole thing... meanwhile, megan thee stallion was the victim here, and her testimony was harrowing because she's a strong woman who wasn't afraid to confront her attacker... i get that lanez's lawyers were trying to chill his right to testify with all this other evidence against him, but at the end of the day, it sounds like justice is being served 
This whole thing is just heartbreaking. You got this talented artist taking away her artistry & youth for 10 years because of his ego 
and lack of accountability. I feel so bad for Megan, she's already living with PTSD and now she'll be dealing with this for the rest of her life 
. And can we talk about how this case highlights the importance of holding abusers accountable 
. 45% of women who experience violence are also at risk for suicidal thoughts 
. We gotta keep pushing for justice & equality! 
. Lanez's ego must have gotten the best of him, thinking he could get away with what he did 
. But kudos to his lawyers for trying to spin things, even if they couldn't win over the court 
.
. And let's be real, 10 years isn't too long for someone who has been given a second chance at life 
. But at the same time, I think it's essential to hold people accountable for their actions, especially when they put others in harm's way 
. It's crucial to have trustworthy and fair law enforcement agencies 
. The fact that Lanez's lawyers tried to use his song lyrics as a defense is just laughable 
.
. She deserves all the support and love from fans like us 
.
. 10 years in prison is way too long but I guess it's better than nothing. My heart goes out to Megan, she's been through hell and back with that injury 
. I don't think she should have had to go through all that trauma to get justice. It's just not fair that Tory thought he could just get away with it because of his music 
. Newsflash, Tory: your ego doesn't make you above the law! You're going down for this and I hope you rot in prison 
Megan Thee Stallion did sound really traumatized during her testimony tho, poor thing 
its got some sick features like a built-in esr chip for real time health monitoring and improved fitness tracking 
i feel so bad for her but at the same time justice has gotta be served, you know? 
I'm glad Kelsey Harris came forward to corroborate Megan's story, it's always good when the truth comes out. anyway, 10 years is a long time for Lanez to be behind bars but I guess you have to serve your time if you break the law