Tory Lanez has just filed an appeal to throw out his conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
Tory’s new legal team claims prosecutors tried to influence the jury with irrelevant evidence and other tactics to sully their clients image.
Back in January, Lanez switched legal teams, hiring famed criminal defense attorney Jose Baez whose clients have included Suge Knight, Aaron Hernandez and Harvey Weinstein.
Baez, claims in legal docs obtained by TMZ, prosecutors submitted a shirtless photo of Tory with a firearm on his chest. During trial, prosecutors said it was merely for identification purposes, but Baez says prosecutors used the photo to underscore to the jury his client had a fondness for weapons.
Baez also claims it was a reversible error for prosecutors to threaten to present Tory’s rap lyrics to the jury.
Additionally, Baez believes it was wrong for the jury to have heard an 80-minute interview prosecutors had with Megan’s former BFF, Kelsey Harris, who was in the vehicle with both rappers the night of the shooting.
During the trial Harris recanted most of what she said during her pre-trial interview and also plead the fifth.
Tory’s appeal comes three months after he was found guilty of shooting the “WAP” rapper in the foot following a night of partying at Kylie Jenner’s home.
Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, was found guilty on all three charges – assault with a semi-automatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
The rapper is facing 22 years in prison for the charges and could be deported back to Canada. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10.
