Photo: Getty Images
Tory Lanez and his legal team are heading back to court in an attempt to secure a new trial after he was convicted in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case.
Over the past few weeks, the "Say It" artist and his lawyers have been making their case in and outside the court on why Lanez deserves a new trial. In a recent interview with Law & Crime Network, Lanez's attorney Jose Baez described several reasons why his team feels his client did not receive a fair trial. One main reason that's been a hot topic of discussion is the prosecution's misrepresentation of the rapper's persona during last year's trial.
“I think it racializes the proceedings,” Baez said. “Utilizing rap persona, creative expression and rap lyrics puts the accused in a very tough position… it’s infiltrated by extreme racism and should never see the inside of a court.”
During the trial, the prosecution used a photo of Lanez without a shirt, which showed off his AK-47 tattoo. Lanez's defense team believes the photo should not have been shown to the jury and alleged that the prosecution used the photo to try and lead the jury to a conviction. His lawyer also asserted that the tattoo itself has no relation to the case in question, and it strictly an "homage to Tupac Shakur."
In addition to the photo, they also believe the Instagram comment that was made by Tory Lanez's account on a post from The Shade Room should not have been allowed either. The comment, which said "that's not true" in response to a user who accused Kelsey Harris of pulling the trigger, was reportedly written by Lanez's social media manager and was presented as evidence by the prosecution without any prior notice. The motion also outlines its argument against the prosecution's decision to play Harris' entire 80-minute deposition to the jury. They asserted that the interview shouldn't have been used because Harris retracted the majority of the statements she made.
The biggest piece of evidence that the defense has an issue with is the DNA test that was performed on the gun. During the trial, prosecutors submitted the results of a DNA test that aimed to identify the sample that was taken from the weapon that was used to shoot Megan Thee Stallion in the feet. The results came out "inconclusive," which didn't rule out Lanez's DNA on the gun. However, following a recent independent test, the results came out negative. An expert that was hired by Lanez's defense determined his DNA was nowhere to be found in the sample and said the only way a test would come out inconclusive is if the test wasn't completed properly. Lanez recently accused the prosecutors involved in the trial of submitting incomplete test results, which seemingly led to his conviction.
Tory Lanez is set to have his day in court on Monday, May 8. If his motion is granted, he will have to prepare for a new trial, in which he may testify himself. If the motion is denied, then the conviction stays and he will be sentenced within 30 days.