Tory Lanez has penned an open letter to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, claiming that he’s innocent of shooting Megan Thee Stallion and that he’s been “illegally” convicted.
On Friday (April 21), the incarcerated singer took to Instagram to share the lengthy statement, which he directed at George Gascon.
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“I write this message with the utmost humility, love, and respect for the remarkable stance you’ve taken in regards to fighting for the justice of Black and brown minorities,” he began. “Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit.
“I’ve watched 2 district attorneys from your office by the names of Kathy Ta and Alex Bott unlawfully misuse their authority to hide and suppress any and all exculpatory evidence that exonerates me, or furthers my innocence. I was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial.”
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Lanez went on to claim that he was fighting for his innocence for the benefit of his family, his friends, and his six-year-old child. He also claimed that the prosecution painted a “false narrative” of the events leading up to the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, and that he was left with “no choice but to expose, and make aware, the practices, the behind door deals, and the unjust system used to illegally convict me and other minorities.”
In the post’s caption, Tory Lanez wrote: “Until my court date I’ll be posting the OUTRAGEOUS & DISGUSTING INJUSTICES used against me by the PROSECUTION to get the conviction they so DESPERATELY wanted, DESPITE the evidence they knew existed.”
Tory Lanez also phoned in the open letter and posted it to his Instagram page.
The Sorry 4 What artist was found guilty in December on all counts of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during a drunken dispute in July 2020 following a high-profile two-week trial in Los Angeles.
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Tory (real name Daystar Peterson) faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison, as well as subsequent deportation to his native Canada. However, Lanez’s sentencing has been delayed in order to give his legal team more time for a new trial.
Earlier this month, attorneys Alexander Bott and Kathy Ta filed a Response to the Defendant’s Motion for a New Trial in response to Lanez’s request, claiming that his request for a new trial “lacks substance.”
The prosecutor’s position is that Lanez’s attorneys have filed a “baseless” claim, and that there are a number of reasons why their client wouldn’t be entitled to a new trial.
For one, a new trial may only be granted if the defendant can “demonstrate a reversible error or other defect.” The prosecution argued that Lanez’s arguments for a new trial are based on facts that they didn’t dispute in the original trial — so, by definition, there was no “defect.”
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Secondly, Lanez wasn’t denied the right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment, and neither was any of the evidence — including the admission of the DNA evidence — improper. Moreover, the alleged “improper” evidence wasn’t objected to at trial, making it “proper” by the letter of the law.
Finally, the prosecution believes Lanez’s claim that he wasn’t allowed to testify at trial — and that his rights to due process were violated — were also false.
