NEWS
Tory Lanez’s lawyers are seeking to get their client released on probation and placed into a drug treatment program when he’s sentenced next week for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
According to Law&Crime reporter Meghann Cuniff, the rapper’s attorneys, Jose Baez and Ed Welbourn, filed a 41-page memo on Tuesday (August 1) in which they claim their client was suffering from alcoholism at the time of the alleged shooting and his culpability was therefore reduced.
The memo, which includes a report from a psychologist who met with Tory (real name Daystar Peterson) in jail last month, details his traumatic childhood — including the violence, abuse, grief and neglect he experienced growing up — that contributed to him developing an alcohol problem.
It cites the death of his mother when he was 11 years old, his stint living with three of his brother’s friends “in an area that was ‘crack infested’ and plagued by violence” after bouncing around relatives, and his brushes with death after being stabbed and shot at as a teen.
Even after breaking into the music industry, it claims, Tory continued to use alcohol and marijuana “as a means of coping with stress and unresolved traumas from his childhood.”
Despite questioning the evidence in the case that helped convict Lanez on all three counts last December, his lawyers argue that “assuming the allegations in this case are true,” his alcohol-use-disorder played a “significant role in the commission of the offense.”
The memo also highlights Tory’s charitable and community efforts and argues he “presents a low risk for violent recidivism in the community.”
“It’s an interesting mix of ‘I’m innocent, but assuming I’m guilty, it’s because my alcoholism is a mental disorder,'” Cuniff tweeted, providing more context to the memo.
In the filing, Baez and Wilbourn acknowledge that Tory Lanez is “presumptively ineligible for probation” because jurors found true two aggravating circumstances: that he fired a weapon and that he inflicted great bodily harm on Megan Thee Stallion when he shot her in the feet in July 2020.
However, California law allows for exceptions in unusual cases, and they claim Lanez’s case “is an unusual case in which the interests of justice would best be served if Mr. Peterson is granted probation.”
In the event that Judge David Herriford rejects their probation request, Baez and Wilbourn are asking for their client to receive the lower term of three years in prison, which they say aligns with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s policies.
The prosecution had previously recommended Tory serve 13 years behind bars, claiming he “demonstrated a high level of callousness” and “high degree of indifference for human life” when he allegedly shot Megan.
They also cited the rapper’s online posts and statements which “re-traumatized his victim” and “emboldened his followers.”
Tory Lanez will learn his fate at 10:30 a.m. on Monday (August 7) when he’s sentenced at the criminal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.
NEWS
Earlier this year, footage of Mariah The Scientist and a woman named Cleopatra Dues allegedly getting into a brawl at an Atlanta club left social media users shocked. Reportedly, Dues told police that Mariah allegedly approached her and ripped off her wig, then proceeded to drag her across the floor of Cavo Kitchen and Cocktail Lounge. She insists that she never interacted with Mariah until the alleged incident.
In May, Mariah was arrested and charged with simple battery. Now, according to court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she's pleaded not guilty. Moreover, her attorney Brian Steel has asked for a jury trial. She's yet to address the debacle but may do so soon in court.
Unfortunately for Mariah, her own legal woes aren't the only ones she's dealing with these days. Her boyfriend Young Thug is also currently behind bars on RICO charges. His high-profile trial was put on hold earlier this week. The defense filed a motion for Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville to recuse himself due to an ex parte meeting with prosecutors and witness Kenneth Copeland. The trial won't continue until another judge reviews the case. Glanville also plans to release a transcript of his meeting with Copeland “so everyone will have a chance to look at it.”
It's unclear exactly how long this could take. The trial is already the longest in state history, however, and doesn't look like it'll be coming to a close anytime soon. What do you think of Mariah The Scientist pleading not guilty to battery? What about her attorney Brian Steel asking for a jury trial? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
