Tory Lanez continues to hope that he will be released from custody as his appeal of the guilty verdict in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting plays out. His first attempt at bonding out during the appeal proceedings has been denied by a judge, but he has instructed his legal team to move forward.
Ceasar McDowell, a member of said team, reported to TMZ that the next steps include plans to file an emergency motion in an attempt to reverse the ruling. Lanez reportedly believes a higher court may be more receptive to his arguments than the trial court judge who issued the ruling keeping him behind bars.
The rapper was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He is seeking release during the appeals process, so he can take his son to school now that it is back in session.
McDowell said that he talked to Lanez by phone and the rapper reportedly began the conversation with a statement that he wasn’t surprised the judge denied his request. He’s been leaning on his faith throughout the process and has chalked up the decision to being “all in God’s plan.” Lanez has assured his legal team that he remains hopeful about the future and isn’t giving up his fight to stay out of prison.
McDowell is also the CEO of Unite the People, a nonprofit that provides low-income defendants with defense attorneys, so they will have a fair shot in the legal system. It has been reported that Lanez previously donated $50K to the organization and has also been an advisory member for the group. One of Unite the People attorneys represented the rapper in his latest hearing.
In December 2022, Lanez was found guilty of three charges related to the shooting: Negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm. He faced up to 22 years in prison but, as mentioned, received a decade.
“He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media. He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade. He treated my trauma like a joke when I could have died that day,” Megan’s victim statement to the court read.