Tory Lanez to serve 10-year sentence in state prison after bail motion denied by judge
Tory Lanez, who was sentenced to a decade in prison in the shooting of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, will serve his sentence in state prison after a motion for bail was denied.
Judge David Herriford denied the bail motion at a Thursday hearing in Los Angeles, Unite the People CEO and co-founder Ceasar McDowell confirmed to USA TODAY. The criminal justice nonprofit is representing Lanez as he appeals the verdict in his case.
In a new motion filed this week by Unite the People attorney Crystal Morgan, Lanez's lawyers requested for Judge Herriford to halt his prison sentence during the appeal process and allow him to live in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 6-year-old son.
Herriford cited the violent nature of Peterson's conviction, his past violations of court orders and his deportation risk as a noncitizen (the rapper is from Canada) in the motion's denial, Morgan told USA TODAY in an email Friday.
In a statement, Morgan said Lanez's legal team "remains steadfast in our commitment to fighting for our clients' rights" and may file a similar motion for bail in the appellate court.
"Mr. Peterson's case has been a challenging one from the beginning. Despite the hurdles we have faced, we firmly believe in his innocence and will continue to advocate for his right to a fair trial and the opportunity to appeal his case," Morgan said. "The denial of the appeal bond is undoubtedly disappointing, but it does not deter us from our mission."
In December, Lanez was found guilty of three felonies – assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence – for leaving Megan wounded with bullet fragments in her feet.
The sentence for the 31-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was handed down last month after several delays. Lanez was given about 10 months of credit for time he's served since his conviction.
The verdict brought an end to a dramatic trial that created a cultural firestorm in the hip-hop community, churning up issues including the reluctance of Black victims to speak to police, gender politics in hip-hop, online toxicity, protecting Black women and the ramifications of misogynoir, a particular brand of misogyny Black women experience.
In an Instagram post shared two days after his sentencing, Lanez addressed his fanbase and said he "will never let no jail time eliminate me."
"Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will," Lanez wrote. "This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved. … That's it. In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I'm being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."
Lanez added that he's "faced adversity my whole life, and every time it looked like I would lose, I came out on top."
"This is nothing but another moment where my back is against the wall and I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious," Lanez wrote. "Tough times don't last, tough people do. To my family, friends and umbrellas thank you for your continued support. See you soon."
'I refuse to stop fighting': Tory Lanez maintains his innocence after 10-year prison sentence
More: Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
Contributing: Naledi Ushe and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tory Lanez case: Rapper to serve 10-year sentence in state prison
