Rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Los Angeles court docket for capturing Megan Thee Stallion.
A choose has sentenced rapper Tory Lanez to 10 years in jail for capturing and wounding hip-hop celebrity Megan Thee Stallion within the ft, ending a three-year authorized and cultural saga that has seen two careers falter.
Choose David Herriford of the Los Angeles Superior Court docket handed down the sentence towards Lanez, 31, who was convicted in December of three felony counts: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a loaded firearm, and never searched a car and discharge of a firearm resulting from gross negligence.
From the preliminary incident within the Hollywood Hills in July 2020, to the marathon two-day listening to that might decide the ruling, the case created controversy within the hip-hop neighborhood, stirring up points such because the reluctance of black victims to talk to the general public. police, gender politics in hip-hop, web toxicity, the safety of black girls, and the ramifications of misogynoir, a specific sort of misogyny skilled by black girls.
Herriford mentioned it was “troublesome to reconcile” the portrait that Lanez’s family and friends painted through the trial of a form, caring particular person and a very good father of a 6-year-old son with the one who fired the gun at Megan.
“Typically good folks do dangerous issues,” Herriford mentioned. “Actions have penalties, and on this case there aren’t any winners,” he continued.
Megan, 28, testified through the trial that Lanez, whose actual identify is Daystar Peterson, shot her at the back of her ft and yelled at her to bounce as she walked away from an SUV that they had been in, after a pool celebration at Kylie Jenner’s home. She needed to bear surgical procedure to take away bullet fragments. She revealed who had fired the gun solely months later.
“Since I used to be viciously shot by the defendant, I’ve not skilled a single day of peace,” Megan mentioned in an announcement learn in court docket by a prosecutor on Monday. “Slowly however certainly, I’m therapeutic and coming again, however I’ll by no means be the identical once more.”
Lanez pleaded with Herriford for clemency simply earlier than the choose handed down his sentence, asking for probation or a minimal jail time period.
“If I might return and alter the collection of occasions that night time, I might,” Lanez mentioned. “The sufferer was my good friend. The sufferer is somebody I nonetheless care about to today,” she asserted.
And he added: “For all the things I did improper that night time, I take full duty.”
Lanez appeared shocked because the sentence was learn, however had no audible response. His household and the followers current within the room additionally remained silent after the sentence.
The rapper has already served 10 months of his sentence for the time he has already spent in jail. “We’re extraordinarily disenchanted,” Lanez’s lead lawyer, Jose Baez, mentioned. “I’ve seen homicides and different instances the place there’s demise, and the defendant nonetheless receives lower than 10 years,” he lamented.
Baez referred to as the sentence “actually one other instance of somebody being punished for his or her superstar standing and somebody getting used to set an instance. And he’s not an instance. He’s a human being,” he harassed.
Lanez’s legal professionals plan to attraction the decision and attempt to get him launched on bail whereas they attraction the sentence.
Megan, whose authorized identify is Megan Pete, was repeatedly praised by prosecutors for her braveness in testifying through the case and enduring the net hate campaigns directed towards her.
“I hope that Ms. Pete’s braveness provides hope to those that really feel helpless,” Los Angeles County District Lawyer George Gascon mentioned at a information convention after the sentencing.
