Three months after he was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez has requested the court throw out the verdict.
The rapper’s new attorney Jose Baez filed a motion Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, alleging there were numerous problems with the case and the hip-hop star didn’t get a fair trial, according to legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
Among Baez’s complaints, jurors were “erroneously allowed” to view a September 2020 Instagram comment attributed to Lanez that said Megan’s former friend and assistant, Kelsey Harris, was not the shooter. The motion blamed Lanez’s content creator, Joshua Farias, for writing a reply on Instagram that said “that’s not true” to a comment on The Shade Room’s account stating, “People saying Kelsey shot her.”
“The court erred on numerous questions of law in allowing the People to introduce this post, depriving defendant of a fair trial,” Wednesday’s filing stated. “The only acceptable remedy for this miscarriage of justice is a new trial.”
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Lanez’s original attorney, George Mgdesyan, claimed during the trial that Kelsey fired the shots at Megan — which Kelsey and Megan both denied in court testimony.
The jury found Lanez guilty on Dec. 23, 2022.
The Canadian rapper had been charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm; discharging a firearm with gross negligence; and carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle; along with the allegation of using a firearm to inflict great bodily injury. Jurors found him guilty on all three felony charges, plus the special allegation.
Lanez, 30, now faces up to 22 years in a California state prison and deportation.
His arrest came after Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, was shot in the feet after leaving a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills, in the early morning hours of July 12, 2020.
Prosecutors said a dispute broke out after Megan got into an SUV with Kelsey and Tory.
Megan demanded to be let out of the vehicle. As she walked away, a drunk and irate Lanez shouted, “Dance, b—h!” before opening fire, the prosecution said.
Following his conviction, Lanez changed lawyers.
His February sentencing was delayed until April 10, so his new legal team could review trial transcripts and plan their next moves.
