Determined ‘potential flight risk’
Rapper Tory Lanez was rejected in a bid to be released on bail pending an appeal of his conviction for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in the Hollywood Hills more than three years ago.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford denied a motion by Lanez’s attorneys asking that he be allowed to post bail. The judge called Lanez a potential flight risk, adding that the Canadian rapper is not a U.S. citizen. He also noted that Lanez had been convicted of a violent felony.
On Aug. 8, the 31-year-old Lanez–whose real name is Daystar Peterson–was sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He has been in custody since he was convicted Dec. 23 of one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
In court Thursday, Lanez’s attorney, Crystal Morgan, insisted that Lanez is “not a threat to society’’ or a flight risk. She noted that the rapper has a wife and 6-year-old son, both of whom are U.S. citizens.
“On top of that, his family owns property here in the L.A. area,’’ Morgan argued, adding that Lanez has “very strong ties to the community’’ and always attended previous court hearings despite traveling abroad extensively.
Prosecutor Kathy Ta countered, however, that since his conviction, Lanez “is much more a significant flight risk,’’ noting that he has the financial resources to flee.
During the trial, Megan Thee Stallion testified that Lanez shot her during an argument on July 12, 2020, following a get-together at Kylie Jenner’s home. She said she had no doubt that Lanez fired the shots, and that he later offered her $1 million not to say anything. According to the singer, Lanez told her to “dance, bitch,’’ and then shot her in the feet.
