Tory Lanez’s attorneys appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday where they argued for a new trial for the rapper, who was convicted in Dec. 2022 of felony assault in the shooting of fellow hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion.
According to court reporter Meghann Cuniff, Lanez’s attorneys argued ” ineffective assistance of counsel. Lanez’s lawyers’ supplement apparently criticizes Shawn Holley’s work for Lanez and says she had a conflict that pushed George Mgdesyan into the case with little time to prepare.”
The supplement was sealed because Lanez’s new lawyers say it deals with attorney-client privilege issues. They’re talking about waiving privilege, but Judge Herriford is earning them that if they do it, there’s some stuff in there they really might not want in the public realm.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
At one point “Judge Herriford asking why Lanez’s lawyer didn’t object in trial. That’s his question to Barhoma and Baez about the new expert they hired to analyze the DNA. New expert says Lanez’s DNA was excluded. Herriford wants to know why no one objected to DNA during trial.”
The lawyers continued to argue for a new case for the remainder of the day, you can read the detail account below.
Another theme: Judge Herriford asking why Lanez's lawyer didn't object in trial. That's his question to Barhoma and Baez about the new expert they hired to analyze the DNA. New expert says Lanez's DNA was excluded. Herriford wants to know why no one objected to DNA during trial.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
Barhoma and Baez's answers first kinda danced around the ineffective assistance of counsel issue regarding Mgdesyan. Barhoma first said previous counsel (Shawn Holley) had a "conflict" and Lanez's trial lawyer George Mgdesyan was ineffective "by way of conflict."
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
Baez told the judge that prior counsel (Holley) made false statements to the court regarding the leaking of discovery and didn't look into the evidence ahead of trial, and that Mgdesyan was at a disadvantage in trial because he was so new to the case.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
"If we're able to introduce the conflict, this issue wold be a whole lot clearer for the court," Barhoma said, referring to the sealed supplement that apparently incudes more details about Holley and Mgdesyan's work for Lanez.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
Barhoma said Holley told the court she was in the process of hiring her own DNA expert but "that turned out to be false" and an expert wasn't actually hired for another eight months. Barhoma said the expert "was not adequately prepared."
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
Judge Herriford pressed them again about whether they're accusing Mgdesyan of ineffective assistance of counsel
"Yes, sir," Baez confirmed they are.Baez: "I was trying to be as delicate as I could under the circumstances…I gain no pleasure from attacking any defense lawyer."
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
The argument is all over the place, but one thing that jumped out to me is Jose Baez saying he doesn't think any of the stuff about Tory "going between" Megan and Kylie Jenner at Kylie's house before the shooting should have come in at all.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
The other attorney also made the bold argument that jurors never should have heard the name "Tory Lanez" because it's a creative expression. Judge Herriford pointed out that Lanez's own lawyer repeatedly called him Tory Lanez all through trial.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
The other attorney also made the bold argument that jurors never should have heard the name "Tory Lanez" because it's a creative expression. Judge Herriford pointed out that Lanez's own lawyer repeatedly called him Tory Lanez all through trial.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
There wasn't a commotion. A sheriff's deputy was urging Lanez to shut up but it wasn't a big thing. Herriford didn't say anything back, and Lanez was led out of the courtroom without incident. This followed loooong argument this afternoon. More details soon.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
Lanez’s lawyers Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma after court. Baez said this is only the beginning of a long process. “We’re not going to stop until we get him out,” @BaezLaw said. pic.twitter.com/tw0GOj9ag5
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) May 8, 2023
