*An attorney for Tory Lanez is suggesting that “mistaken eyewitness identifications” led to his conviction in the 2020 shooting case of Megan Thee Stallion.
Famed criminal defense attorney Jose Baez posted a series of Instagram Stories on Thursday (May 4), in which he cited data from the Innocence Project showing that unreliable eyewitnesses play a large role in wrongful convictions and that many cases have been overturned thanks to post-conviction DNA evidence.
The rapper is facing over 22 years in prison for shooting his ex, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, after a house party in Los Angeles in July 2020. Megan’s former bestie Kelsey Harris attended the party with the pair and there are looming questions and curiosities surrounding her involvement in the shooting.
Lanez’s sentencing hearing has been delayed as his legal team seeks a new trial.
Baez recently took to his Instagram Story to share a picture of himself in a suit and noted that a jury found Lanez guilty after listening to “mistaken” testimonies from eyewitnesses.
“Mistaken eyewitness identifications contributed to approximately 69% of the more than 375 wrongful convictions in the United States overturned by post-conviction DNA evidence,” Baez explained in his post.
Baez followed up with two screenshots of statements from witnesses in the case. In one post, a witness claimed to have seen “one of the girls shoot” after a fight between Tory, Megan, and Harris. According to the witness, Tory tried to take the gun away
In the second screenshot, the witness claimed to have seen Tory “shouting” but he “never saw a gun,” only “flashes [coming] from him.”
Lanez has maintained his innocence since the shooting incident made headlines, even after his conviction
He was ultimately found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
Last month, Lanez shared an open letter to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in which he voices his frustrations with his conviction in the case.
In the letter, Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) slams the prosecutors and proclaims his innocence, Urban Hollywood 411 reports. The rapper is facing over 22 years for shooting his ex, rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Lanez is scheduled to appear in court on May 8, for a sentencing hearing.
“I write this letter with the utmost humility, love, and respect for the remarkable stance you’ve taken in regards to fighting for the justice of Black and Brown minorities,” Lanez’s open letter began.
The rapper then criticized the prosecutors and district attorneys in the case.
“Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit,” he continued. “I’ve watched two district attorneys from your office by the names of Kathy Ta and Alex Bott unlawfully misuse their authority to hide and suppress any and all exculpatory evidence that exonerates me, or furthers my innocence. I was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial.”
Meanwhile, we reported previously, via CNN, that Megan Thee Stallion, published an essay recently for Elle Magazine in which she detailed her healing journey after being shot in the feet by Lanez in July of 2020.
“As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” she wrote.
Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete, also details how she overcame the “public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
“It never crossed my mind that people wouldn’t believe me,” she wrote, noting that she “knew the truth and the indisputable facts would prevail.”
READ MORE: Tory Lanez Says He Was ‘Deprived of a Fair Trial’ in Open Letter to L.A. District Attorney
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