High court declines review The California Supreme Court on Thursday declined to take up Tory Lanez’s petition. The move leaves intact the 10-year prison term that followed his 2022 conviction.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal had already rejected Lanez’s arguments in November. That appellate ruling found no reversible error in the trial judge’s decisions.
Conviction and aftermath remain intact
Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted in December 2022. He was found guilty on three felony counts related to the July 2020 shooting. The charges included assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Prosecutors say evidence supported the jury’s verdict. During the original sentencing hearing, a prosecutor said the shooting happened after an argument. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott told the court the incident “bruised his ego.”
Lanez’s attorneys argued the trial had flaws. They criticized the admission of certain testimony and social media evidence. The appellate panel called any alleged error harmless.
At oral argument, an attorney for Lanez told judges, “Daystar Peterson is innocent.” The defense can still seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Megan Thee Stallion testified at trial that she was shot in the feet in July 2020. She told jurors she had “bullet fragments in both feet” that required surgery. Under cross-examination she said she “didn’t want to be a snitch” and had to “defend my name.”
Lanez is serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony. Last year, he was stabbed in prison and hospitalized with serious injuries. A hospital post said he was stabbed 14 times and both lungs had collapsed.
With the state’s high court declining review, Lanez’s conviction stands. His legal team may explore federal remedies, though success is uncertain.