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Tory Lanez's attempt to appeal his conviction in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case has been denied.
The California Court of Appeals has affirmed the "Say It" singer's felony convictions as well as his 10-year prison sentence in full. According to legal journalist Meghann Cuniff, the opinion about his conviction and sentencing is "'unpublished,' which means it doesn't establish new case law and isn't citable." Justices Lee Smalley Edmon, Anne H. Egerton, and Rashida A. Adams are the same judges who denied his attempt to submit new alleged evidence to overturn his convictions in August.
"We affirm Daystar Peterson's conviction," the document reads.
The two habeas corpus petitions, which were filed in 2023 and 2024, sought to discredit the jury's verdict, citing evidence that wasn't presented during the trial and other issues. Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, and his lawyers asserted they had an affidavit in which Smith alleged he saw the gun in Kelsey Harris' hands before the shooting in July 2020. Smith maintained he didn't see who actually fired the gun, but Lanez's attorneys believed his statements were enough to support the defense's argument that Harris shot Meg. The petitions also mentioned new statements from Harris' bodyguard Bradie James, who said he overheard Harris say she shot the "Whenever" rapper.
In their ruling, the Justices determined the claims Lanez made in his petitions didn't qualify for habeas relief. They ruled that Smith's statements are "inadmissible" and reiterated that the crooner and his lawyers “affirmatively decided not to call Mr. Smith as a witness at trial.” The justices also questioned why James' statements, which were taken in August 2024, weren't submitted until July 2025.
Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. He was convicted on all three felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a concealed firearm in his vehicle, and negligent discharge of a firearm in December 2022. He's been locked up ever since.