SOHH Squad
Megan Thee Stallion’s assault trial against Tory Lanez has officially begun at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The trial follows the July 2020 shooting, which transpired after a heated exchange.
The “Savage” Houston rapper’s assault trial against Canadian singer/rapper Tory Lanez officially began at the Los Angeles Superior Court. Jury selection was the first order of business in the courtroom of Judge David Herriford.
The trial follows after the “Say It” rapper allegedly shot Megan in the foot in July 2020. Lanez is charged with — one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The defendant also faces a gun allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury.
Lanez arrived at the courtroom dressed in a khaki-brown plaid suit surrounded by a large support system which appeared to be his family and bodyguards. Shortly after, his attorneys walked in as he patiently awaited for the trial to begin. Attorneys from the State of California’s office were also in place to present the case against Daystar “Tory Lanez” Peterson on behalf of victim Megan Thee Stallion.
The jury selection process is expected to run from December 5-7 with the final panel of 12 jurors to be seated in the courtroom on the 6th and 7th. Stay tuned to SOHH for non-stop updates as the trial unravels. Here’s what happened in Day 1 of trial proceedings (all times are in PST):
Tory Lanez No Longer On House Arrest
6:05 pm: Superior Court Judge David Herriford said, “I will terminate the house arrest at this point. The main reason is that during trial, it’s difficult to have a client who’s not accessible. I’m doing this mainly for the trial preparation aspect.”
On October 26th, Tory Lanez violated his bail conditions after allegedly assaulting August Alsina. Consequently, he was fitted with an ankle monitor, which will be removed with his release from house arrest.
Juror Says Tory Lanez Is Innocent + Asks To Be Recused
12:15 pm: A source told SOHH that an African American female juror asked to recuse herself after she stated that she believed Lanez is “innocent.” Tory and his team leave the courtroom without commenting.
11:17 am: The presiding judge, Judge David Herriford, will also determine whether to rescind the house arrest order and the $350K bond. However, the state is strongly against lifting the house arrest order, citing witness safety as a concern due to alleged witness intimidation. The state of California is also calling for the use of GPS tracking. According to the state, Lanez allegedly asked a witness not to film him, even offering to pay them not to.
11:00 am: The jury pool consists of a diverse group with Caucasian, Asian, Black, and Hispanic backgrounds. Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion is currently not in attendance as Tory is facing the state of California.
10:15 am: Tory Lanez, real name, Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, appeared for the first day of court with family, his management, and public relations team. The trial follows two years after he allegedly shot Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, aka Megan Thee Stallion, in the foot.
The Heated Exchange That Led To Today’s Trial
On July 12, the defendant and the 24-year-old victim, Megan Thee Stallion, were in a heated argument while riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills according to reports. The victim exited the vehicle, where Peterson allegedly shot Megan several times at her feet, wounding her. If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months in state prison.
A Timeline Of Megan Thee Stallion + Tory Lanez’s Rocky Relationship
As the trial unravels, fans get a timeline of Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez’s relationship before and after the alleged shooting. The rappers were also rumored to be lovers beforehand.
Additional reporting by Nicole Bartley, Nadya Nataly and Kendall Parks
