A judge has turned down an appeal from the legal team of Canadian rapper Tory Lanez to introduce new evidence they say will prove his innocence.
On Tuesday, a California appellate court denied two habeas corpus petitions filed by Tory Lanez in 2023 and 2024, which sought to overturn his conviction using evidence not presented at trial.
His separate direct appeal, based on what jurors heard in December 2022, remains pending with oral arguments set for Monday.
In its rulings, the same three-judge panel called Lanez’s claims “piecemeal” and unfit for habeas relief. One petition alleged the gun in the case had “been misplaced and is currently missing,” but the judges cited a sworn LAPD statement confirming the firearm, its magazine, and all bullets and fragments are still in police custody.
They also noted Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, “failed to request further DNA testing in the trial court” or explain how it would prove his innocence. If he meant “the bullet fragments that surgeons removed from the victim’s feet,” they added, “those are unlikely to have usable fingerprints or DNA.
Lanez has always maintained his innocence and alleges he has been framed for the shooting. He is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the crime.