Tory Lanez’s sentencing in the shooting of Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion has been pushed back as his new legal team tries to get him a new trial, delaying a case that fans of both musicians have closely watched for nearly three years.
The sentencing, which was originally scheduled for January, has been rescheduled multiple times, and Lanez has hired new attorneys since his conviction.
A sentencing hearing was initially on the schedule Monday, but it will occur later because of Lanez’s motion for the new trial.
Tory Lanez‘s attorneys have requested a postponement in their clients’ request for a retrial because they need more time to prepare.
The prosecutor’s office filed a response to the appeal Thursday, saying that the motion lacked substance and that the guilty verdict should stand. It included a memo from Holley to the court dated Jan. 10, in which she said she had to leave the trial because of an out-of-state arbitration.
“The evidence presented at trial was properly admitted, and the defendant’s claims of errors and violations of his constitutional rights are without merit. The verdict reached by the jury was based on credible evidence and was supported by the law.”
The prosecution’s filing said
The motion for Tory Lanez to receive a retrial was postponed by court authorities by another week, which was set to enter deliberation on Monday (April 10).
Now, both sides of the case will wait until Monday, April 17 to discuss the motion. Moreover, this resulted from a request from the Canadian rapper’s legal team for continuance to add to their retrial motion.
While it’s unclear how this will shape up in the grand scheme of things, it does give each side more time to prepare their arguments. For Lanez, this means a shot at a second chance, whereas the prosecution affirmed his already proven guilt.
Similar to other celebrity trials, the shooting case was the subject of significant social media commentary and speculation. Fans of Megan Thee Stallion called many of the people defending Lanez perpetuated “misogynoir,” referring to the specific misogyny against Black women where sexism and racism intersect.
Lanez’s defense also relied on the concept, alleging that Megan Thee Stallion falsely accused him because of jealousy. His attorney alleged that she and Harris, who was also in the car the night of the shooting, had gotten into an argument over him and other men.
