Tory Lanez is heading to state prison after judge denies motion for bail during appeal
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Tory Lanez's latest attempt to avoid being sent to a California prison has failed.
The hip-hop star's motion for bail was rejected Thursday by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, a court spokeswoman confirmed. Lanez is facing a 10-year prison sentence for shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
The Canadian hip-hop artist, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, had asked the judge to release him on bail so he could live with his son and wife while he works on his appeal. However, Judge David Herriford denied the motion, citing Lanez's conviction for a violent felony, history of violating court orders and foreign citizenship among the reasons.
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Lanez has been held in Men's Central Jail since January, according to online records for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It is unclear when he'll be transported to state prison.
"The Color Violet" and "Hurts Me" emcee grinned at his supporters, including his father and friends from the Unite the People legal-services group — the nonprofit he frequently works with — before being led out of court, tweeted legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff, who was in the courtroom Thursday.
Outside the courthouse Thursday, a Unite the People attorney for Lanez told reporters that "the judge didn't agree with our side" and that "this is just the first step in many of the processes" Lanez's supporters are undertaking to appeal the conviction.
"The outcome on this motion (and case) is a miscarriage of justice. Simply put, Daystar Peterson is a trademark applicant for bond on appeal. He is not a flight risk, poses essentially no danger to society, and has strong merit-based arguments on appeal," said L.A. defense attorney Matthew Barhoma, who represents Lanez, in a statement to The Times.
Barhoma added that Lanez was free on bond for two years while the case was pending "and not much has changed."
"As such, to get denied bond at this stage is simply not a fair shake. Overall, it feels a lot like a punishment of his celebrity. Because the next defendant will likely get a different sentence and a different result," he said.
Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in state prison in early August for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. Megan — real name Megan Pete — was shot in the foot when an alcohol-fueled argument turned violent after the rappers left a party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home. Lanez denied all wrongdoing.
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The 31-year-old was convicted in December of assault with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm and negligent discharge of a gun after a dramatic trial that featured tearful testimony from Megan Thee Stallion and a key witness requesting immunity shortly before stonewalling prosecutors on the stand.
Harriford remanded Lanez to Men’s Central Jail after the jury handed down its verdict in December, Barhoma added, noting that the rapper has been in solitary confinement since then.
"Again, no other defendant accused of these offenses receives like treatment," he said.
The hip-hop artist faced a maximum of 22 years and eight months in prison. Although he did not testify during the trial, Lanez addressed the court in August for the first time since his arrest to talk about his religious upbringing and how he had spent his life doing charitable works. He also asked the judge not to punish him too harshly for what he called a wildly out-of-character moment.
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
