Tory Lanez files an appeal?! It looks like the “Say It” phenomenon is still battling it out for his freedom.
The Canadian rapper/singer has come forward with a motion for a new trial after his December conviction of shooting fellow rhymer Megan Thee Stallion. Lanez’s legal team has cited multiple grounds for the appeal, claiming that the ruling was unfair and that prosecutors used “irrelevant evidence” to frame him.
According to TMZ, Lanez’s lawyer, Jose Baez, submitted documents to the court stating that the prosecutors submitted a shirtless photo of his client with a firearm on his chest, which was used to convince the jury that Lanez had a love for weapons. Lanez’s representatives argue that they unfairly painted the 30-year-old as “a gun-wielding career criminal.”
[UPDATE] Tory Lanez Files an Appeal to Overturn Conviction in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting
His attorneys noted that the reference to Lanez’s AK-47 tattoo, which they point out is “an homage to Tupac Shakur” and “a symbol of Black unity and the fight against racism” — violates AB 2799, a new California law introduced after his trial that seeks to exclude “creative expression” in criminal proceedings. Baez also mentioned that the court’s threat to present Lanez’s rap lyrics to the jury was a reversible error.
The jury was even given an 80-minute interview with Kelsey Harris, Stallion’s friend, who was in the car when the shooting happened, which Lanez’s camp wasn’t too fond of. The audio was used against Lanez, but Harris later recanted her statements. Additionally, Baez recorded that it was wrong to admit an Instagram post that claimed that cops matched fragments in Stallion’s foot to the bullets from Lanez’s gun. Furthermore, he said it was unethical to allow statements Stallion made to police, alleging that Lanez said to her after the incident, “Please don’t say anything because I’m on probation.”
As the rapper faces a potential sentence of 22 years in prison, the appeal motion may be his last chance at avoiding jail time. The case has gained national attention and has been closely watched by fans and music critics alike. Whether Lanez’s appeal will be successful remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: he is not going down without a fight.
If you didn’t know, in the summer of 2020, Tory Lanez was accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot after a heated dispute. On December 23, 2022, he was found guilty of all three charges in the case: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, vehicle possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
He’s set to go before the judge again in April.
What are your thoughts on this situation? Let us know in the comments below!
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