Tory Lanez's Appeal for a New Trial Rejected by Judge

etonline.com:

Tory Lanez's appeal for a new trial, almost four months after he was found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.The rapper's lawyers filed a motion for a new trial on March 29, arguing that he was deprived of a fair trial.

His sentencing date has not yet been revealed.The case continues more than two years after Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, accused the rapper of shooting her in the feet as they were leaving a party in July 2020.According to reporting by Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma cited multiple grounds for the appeal, including a claim that the judge «erroneously allowed» jurors to view a September 2020 Instagram post from Lanez's personal account claiming Megan's now-estranged best friend, Kelsey Harris, was not the shooter.The motion also alleged that the prosecution interfered with Lanez's right to counsel with a line of questioning to Harris, a key witness, regarding accusations that Lanez tried to bribe Harris.

In September 2022, Harris had a lengthy interview with investigators, but backtracked parts of her testimony during the trial, citing anxiety and postpartum depression for her inconsistency.

Baez reportedly claims prosecutors used a photo showing Lanez's chest tattoo of a firearm to insinuate to the jury that the rapper has a fondness for guns and «impermissibly chilled» his right to testify by ruling that if he testified, the state could introduce his rap lyrics and a music video under cross-examination.In response, the prosecution said the motion lacked substance and the guilty verdict should stand, according to NBC News.