Tory Lanez’s bid to overturn his conviction in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion has suffered another setback, as a California appeals court denied two petitions filed by his legal team earlier this week.
According to Billboard, Lanez’s attorneys argued that his due process rights were violated and that critical evidence, including the firearm and bullet fragments removed from Megan’s foot, had not been made available for independent review. Prosecutors countered that the gun remains in the possession of the Los Angeles Police Department and maintained that retesting would not alter the case outcome.
“Petitioner has failed to [show] that additional DNA testing would establish a claim of actual innocence,” the court wrote in its decision, noting that experts from both sides testified at trial that no DNA from Lanez was found on the gun’s magazine, and DNA from the weapon itself was inconclusive in determining whether he was a contributor.
Lanez’s legal team also accused prosecutors of failing to collect a DNA sample from Kelsey Harris, whom the defense has suggested may have fired the gun. The court rejected this claim as well, writing, “The prosecution does not have a duty to collect evidence helpful to the defense.”
The Canadian-born rapper and singer, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted in 2022 of shooting at Megan Thee Stallion following an argument in a Los Angeles neighborhood. In 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2029, with a projected release in 2033.
While these petitions have been denied, Lanez’s direct appeal of the conviction is still pending. A live hearing for oral arguments is expected to take place later this month.