Tory Lanez has been transported to prison. Here's the full transcript from his sentencing.
"Actions have consequences, and there are no winners in this case," Judge David Herriford said. Some trial transcripts also are available, including Megan's testimony.
Tory Lanez has been transported from jail to a California state prison to begin his 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
The 31-year-old rapper is now housed at the North Kern State Prison in Delano, about 35 miles north of Bakersfield. He was transferred from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department custody to the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at 10:22 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the online jail roster.
North Kern is a medium-security facility that serves as reception center for new inmates in the California state prison. Lanez likely will be there for a few months before being assigned to a permanent location.
Here’s his new inmate photo:
Lanez was credited for 305 days already served when he was sentenced on Aug. 8, so he’s up to approximately 353 days served, which is 12 days shy of a year.
Here’s how Los Angeles County Judge David Herriford described his credited time:
That’s from the court reporter’s transcript of the two-day sentencing hearing, which is available to download in its entirety below.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo had strong words for actor Danny Masterson at his rape sentencing, but Judge Herriford took a more circumvent approach to sentencing Lanez, saying it is “is difficult to reconcile the talented, industrious, philanthropic individual” described in letters and in-court remarks “with the individual convicted in this case.”
“But sometimes good people do bad things. And, tragically, Mr. Peterson's actions in shooting Ms. Pete in those brief seconds forever changed so many lives. I think both sides have alluded to this,” Judge Herriford said. “But actions have consequences, and there are no winners in this case.”
Minutes earlier, Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott detailed Lanez’s violations of court orders, including a protective order against Megan that he breached at the Rolling Loud Music Festival in Miami. He also described Lanez’s album Daystar, including the lyrics, “How the fuck you get shot in your foot, didn’t hit no bones or tendons?” as well as Lanez’s false accusations about DNA evidence. He also said Lanez’s defense that Kelsey Harris shot followed his “theme of victimizing innocent women.”
“He put out an album while this case pending profiting from his crimes and at the same time spinning this disinformation campaign where he says about Megan, ‘How the fuck you get shot in your foot, didn’t hit no bones or tendons.’
He re-tweeted a post about DNA evidence that was misleading, again, in an attempt to control the narrative against Megan.
Megan suffered reputation damage. She had suicidal thoughts. She had lost opportunities.
And yet today the defense had the audacity to equate Megan’s social media activity with the defendant's. And I almost fell out of my chair.
You know what Megan didn’t do, Your Honor? She didn’t shoot anybody.
You know what Megan didn’t do? She did not embark on a disinformation campaign to demonize and vilify an innocent person. To equate the two is absolutely absurd.
And that’s not all he did while this case was pending. He violated the protective order on numerous occasions.
He directed a derogatory tweet at Megan that attempted to spin the jail call apology. He was found in violation for that.
He re-tweeted misleading evidence about the DNA and it wasn’t just using the pen as a sword. he actually show up to a music festival where Megan was performing, coming within a hundred yards of her. She didn’t know he was gonna be there. She thought she was safe. He came out in a costume with DaBaby only to reveal himself as Tory Lanez to his legion of fans while Megan was right there. intimidating her. harassing her. further harming her emotional well-being.
The message that he sent was: This piece of paper, this protective order, it’s not gonna keep you safe. I can get at you whenever I want. I’ll tweet at you. And I’ll actually come to where you’re performing and scare you.
He was reminded of the court’s orders in this case. The same court that he now asks mercy from. You know what he said about the court that he just professed today that he respects so much? ‘I’m not givin’ a fuck about this court’s orders.” That’s the real Tory Lanez. That’s the real defendant.
Again, while this case was pending he showed his violent character.
In Chicago, he sucker-punched August Alsina for refusing to return a handshake. Another act of unprovoked violence against an unsuspecting and innocent victim.
And then, when the trial comes around, Your Honor, the theme of victimizing innocent women continued.
Instead of just saying that the prosecution didn’t meet their burden of proof, instead of testifying in his own defense, the defendant blithely pointed the finger at Kelsey Harris, despite there being no credible evidence of her involvement in this case. That had the effect of ruining Kelsey’s life as well. She told this court about the trauma that she endured. About the emotional harm that she endured. About the hate and vitriol that she endured because of the false allegations against her.
So, first it was ‘Megan wasn’t even shot. Megan’s a liar.’ Then it was, ‘Okay, she was shot, but Kelsey shot her,’ ruining the life of yet another woman.
The two-day hearing included three hours of remarks from seven of Lanez’s supporters, including Miles McNerney, a chaplain at the Men’s Central Jail; Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson; Lanez’s now-wife and the mother of his six-year-old son, Raina Chassagne; Cesar McDowell of Unite the People; Lanez’s former manager Elis Pacheco and Stephanie Herring, program director of Home Sentencing, who told Judge Herriford she could pick Lanez up from jail and drive him to rehab herself.
They answered questions from Lanez’s lawyers, who at the time were T. Edward Welbourn of Newport Beach, California; Matthew Barhoma of Los Angeles and Jose Baez of Miami, Florida.
Baez, the prominent criminal defense attorney who got accused child killer Casey Anthony acquitted of murder in 2011. None were in court last week for Lanez’s bail hearing, but Baez indicated he’s still on the case, saying in an Instagram story that he couldn’t attend because of a “prior commitment.”
However, Unite the People attorneys Crystal Morgan and Michael Hayden said last week they will be handling Lanez’s appeal. Morgan has been a licensed California attorney since March 2021, while Hayden has been licensed in California since February 2022. The 2nd District Court of Appeals created a case for Lanez on Monday. His opening brief, which details his arguments, won’t be filed for at least several months.
The sentencing transcript includes a lot of comments about Lanez’s finances, including from Chassagne, who confirmed he continued to donate huge amounts of money to charity while his case was pending.
My article from last month covers Megan and Lanez’s statements at sentencing:
Again, the full sentencing transcript is available to download above. It cost $980 through the court reporter, which I fundraised online.
Here are the other transcripts that have been posted online. The new trial hearing transcript was obtained as an exhibit in an appellate court file. At least one of the Harris transcripts was distributed by Jose Baez’s law firm.
Two-day hearing in May on Lanez’s motion for new trial
Megan Thee Stallion’s full trial testimony on Dec. 13, 2022
Day 1 of Kelsey Harris’ trial testimony on Dec. 14, 2022
Day 2 of Harris’ testimony on Dec. 15, 2022
The transcript I think would be most educational is the transcript from closing arguments and the testimony of the prosecution’s DNA expert. It has not been posted online. The court reporter say it’s $732. I have about $150 left from the sentencing transcript money that I will put toward it. If anyone would like to contribute, you can use Venmo (MeghannCuniff), CashApp ($MeghannCuniff) or Zelle (meghanncuniff@gmail.com).
Previous coverage:
Sept. 15: Tory Lanez insults reporter in final courtroom appearance for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
Sept. 1: Tory Lanez seeks bail as he appeals Megan Thee Stallion shooting convictions, 10-year sentence
Aug. 18: All of Tory Lanez's support letters, including from his hair-loss doctor and rapper Stefflon Don
Aug. 17: Exclusive: Read Megan Thee Stallion's and Tory Lanez's full statements from Lanez's sentencing
Aug. 15: Police chief among Tory Lanez's supporters at Megan Thee Stallion shooting sentencing
Aug. 9: Iggy Azalea to Tory Lanez's sentencing judge: 'I would not write to you on behalf of an abuser'
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