On Tuesday, June 13, Tory Lanez will officially receive his prison sentence from the Los Angeles Superior Court. The sentencing will take place half a year after Lanez was found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having an unregistered loaded gun in a vehicle, and discharge with gross negligence in connection to a 2020 incident that saw Megan Thee Stallion sustain bullet wounds in her foot.
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Last month, after his motion for a new trial was denied, Los Angeles district attorney and prosecutor in Lanez’s case Alexander Bott suggested that the emcee would receive a minimum of nine years in prison for his charges. However, after a report from Tuesday (June 6), it seems that four years could be tacked onto that number.
The prosecutors in the case filed a memorandum to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford Tuesday asking for a 13-year sentence for Lanez. In their note, they expressed why they requested such a harsh sentence.
“Words have power and the pen is oftentimes mightier than the sword. In this case, (Lanez) used both,” the memorandum obtained by XXL read. “Not content to have hurt the victim by use of his sword (gun), he also used his pen. His online posts for nearly three years have re-traumatized the victim.”
Most likely, the prosecutors are referring to the indirect war of words Lanez engaged in with Megan Thee Stallion following the 2020 incident. In an April op-ed with Elle Magazine, Megan wrote that Lanez’s ridicule caused her anxiety and excessive harassment from his supporters.
“Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see,” she wrote.
Additionally, Tuesday’s memorandum to the LA court continued to convey how Lanez abused his expansive fanbase and influence.
“His online reach is worldwide (millions of followers plus casual observers) and the defendant’s statements embolden his followers so that they too have been complicit in re-traumatizing the victim,” the message read. “He is responsible for the effect of his words and his actions. … The defendant’s lack of remorse is insidious, leaving this court no assurances that the defendant will not repeat this type of behavior in the future.”
While there have been two predictions and suggestions made by the prosecution for Lanez’s punishment, we will not know his sentence for another week. However, Megan Thee Stallion is working actively to heal her mind and body, as she spoke last week about how she does not plan to release any music until she is in a better place.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
