Canadian rapper and singer Tory Lanez faced a pivotal moment in his ongoing legal battle as he returned to court today (August 8) to receive his sentence for his involvement in the 2020 shooting of fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion.
The highly publicized trial reached its climax with the announcement of Lanez’s fate–a staggering 10-year prison term for his assault on the Grammy-nominated artist. The news of his sentence was first shared by Meghann Cuniff, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, who has been covering the trial extensively.
Many expected Lanez to be sentenced yesterday, when he was also in court, but Judge David Herriford instead allowed lawyers from both the prosecution and Lanez’s defense team to present suggestions and arguments. The proceedings also featured emotional appeals from various individuals who spoke in support of Lanez’s character. Among them were Lanez’s father, the mother of his child, and even fellow hip-hop luminary Iggy Azalea, whose statement echoed through the courtroom.
Although Stallion herself was not physically in court either day, her voice was undeniably present. Through a shared statement, she expressed the enduring impact of the incident on her well-being. In the message, she claimed that while, “Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back,” she has “not experienced a single day of peace” since being shot by Lanez.
Lanez’s sentencing was originally scheduled for January 2023, but the process was disrupted when Lanez secured new legal representation. This led to a delay in the proceedings as the new lawyers sought to argue for a new trial, a plea that was ultimately rejected by the court.
While Lanez’s sentence is long, it is not as severe as the prosecution had sought. The legal team pursuing his conviction had advocated for a 13-year prison sentence. On the other side, Lanez’s defense team had made an argument for probation, contending that he could undergo rehabilitation through therapeutic interventions.
The conviction that led to this sentencing unfolded in December 2022. At the core of the case were three felony charges stemming from a violent altercation between Lanez and Stallion on the night of July 12, 2020 in Los Angeles’s Hollywood Hills neighborhood. The charges included assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm within a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
The legal proceedings against Lanez initially commenced in October 2020 with the musician’s arrest on these serious charges.
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