Tory Lanez’s Legal Team Consists of Casey Anthony and Snoop Dogg’s Former Lawyers
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez is preparing to appeal his December 2022 conviction for felony assault involving fellow rapper and onetime friend Megan Thee Stallion. To get his legal defense ready, Lanez has hired some big-name lawyers to his team — including former lawyers for Snoop Dogg and Casey Anthony.
Tory Lanez was convicted of felony assault in December 2022
In July 2020, Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion were leaving a party in Los Angeles when an argument broke out and quickly led to violence. According to Megan, Lanez shouted “Dance, b****” and proceeded to shoot her in her feet. Lanez was arrested later that year and his trial date was set for December 2022.
On December 23, 2022, Lanez was convicted by a jury on three felony charges stemming from the shooting: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and gross negligence in discharging a firearm. Lanez was taken to jail following the verdict and is awaiting his sentencing on January 27, 2023.
Tory Lanez hired Snoop Dogg and Casey Anthony’s former lawyers
Following Lanez’s conviction, his defense attorney during the trial, George Mgdesyan, explained to a Rolling Stone reporter that he won’t be leading Lanez’s appeal team. “I don’t do appeals, so we had to get somebody on board to handle the appeal,” he said.
Lanez went on to hire David Kenner for his appeal team. Kenner has represented Suge Knight in court in the past, and has another well-known case in his history: helping Snoop Dogg beat a murder charge he faced back in 1993. Snoop addressed the trial on his 1993 song “Murder Was the Case.” He was acquitted in 1996. “They made the right decision,” Snoop told reporters as he left the courthouse, according to the Los Angeles Times. “This has been an ordeal that has affected our lives for the past two-and-a-half years. I was just trying to figure out if I was going to be here to raise my son.”
Following Kenner’s addition to his legal team, Lanez hired another prominent lawyer. According to TMZ, Lanez has hired lawyer Jose Baez, the defense attorney best known for helping Casey Anthony avoid prison and the death penalty in 2011 after being charged with murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee. Baez also was a defense attorney for ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez, who was acquitted of two murders in 2017.
Kenner is preparing to file a motion for a new trial that would throw out Lanez’s three convictions from December 2022. “I look forward to litigating the motion for a new trial,” Kenner said in a court hearing finalizing Lanez’s legal team, according to Los Angeles Magazine. “We’re very confident.”
What’s next for Tory Lanez
Lanez’s sentencing for his December convictions is scheduled for January 27, 2023. The rapper could face up to 22 years in prison for the charges.
Lanez filing an appeal would lead to a new trial where he’ll have another chance to defend himself with the help of his new legal team.
