The Attorney General's Office of California has disputed Tory Lanez's assertion that he had fresh evidence proving his innocence in the shooting death of Megan Thee Stallion.
Lanez was hoping that his 10-year jail term for killing the Houston rapper in July 2020 would be vacated in light of a statement made by his chauffeur, Jauquan Smith, in which he claimed to have seen Megan's friend Kelsey Harris brandishing a gun. In his affidavit, which was included in a habeas petition that Tory's appeal attorneys filed in December, Smith stated that he was unable to identify the shooter.
Deputy Attorney General Michael C. Keller responded informally on Monday, July 29, saying that Smith's statement does not constitute fresh evidence and should not be utilized to reverse Lanez's conviction. Keller mentioned previously unreleased remarks made by the rapper's prior attorney, George Mgdesyan, who declined to summon Smith as a witness in the trial scheduled for December 2022.
In the 38-page document that the court reporter was able to access, Keller stated that "defense counsel acknowledged that he had spoken with Smith regarding his observations and determined that Smith would not be a helpful witness."Keller continued, "[Megan's] testimony that petitioner [Lanez] was the person who shot her does not directly contradict the fact that Smith did not see who fired the gun."
Keller continued by outlining the "wealth of other evidence" that Tory was guilty, including DNA tests, Megan's testimony that he had shot her, and the Canadian rapper's apparent admission of guilt in texts and phone conversations following the shooting.
Due to "prosecutorial misconduct" and "erroneous admission of evidence," Tory Lanez has been requesting a fresh trial.
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