A judge sentenced rapper to 10 years in prison Tuesday for hip-hop superstar in the feet, bringing a conclusion to a three-year legal and cultural saga that saw two careers, and lives, thrown into turmoil.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford handed down the sentence to the 31-year-old Lanez, who was : assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
From the initial incident in the Hollywood Hills in July of 2020, to the marathon two-day sentencing hearing, the case created a firestorm in the hip-hop community, churning up issues including , gender politics in hip-hop, online toxicity, and the ramifications of .
Herriford said it was 91裸聊视频渄ifficult to reconcile91裸聊视频� the portrait Lanez91裸聊视频檚 friends and family painted during the hearing of a kind, charitable person and good father to a 6-year-old son with the person who fired the gun at Megan.
91裸聊视频淪ometimes good people do bad things,91裸聊视频� Herriford said. 91裸聊视频淎ctions have consequences, and there are no winners in this case.91裸聊视频�
during the trial that Lanez fired the gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding, after leaving a pool party at Kylie Jenner91裸聊视频檚 home. She had to have surgery to remove bullet fragments. She revealed who had fired the gun only months later.
91裸聊视频淪ince I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,91裸聊视频� Megan said in a statement read in court by a prosecutor on Monday. 91裸聊视频淪lowly but surely, I91裸聊视频檓 healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.91裸聊视频�
Lanez asked Herriford for mercy just before the judge delivered his sentence, requesting either probation or a minimal prison sentence.
91裸聊视频淚f I could turn back the series of events that night and change them,91裸聊视频� I would, Lanez continued. 91裸聊视频淭he victim was my friend. The victim is someone I still care for to this day.91裸聊视频�
He added, 91裸聊视频淓verything I did wrong that night, I take full responsibility for.91裸聊视频�
Lanez appeared stunned while the sentence was read, but had no audible reaction. His family and fans in the courtroom also remained quiet after the sentence.
The rapper was given about 10 months of credit for time he91裸聊视频檚 served, most of it spent in jail since his conviction in December.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e extremely disappointed,91裸聊视频� Lanez91裸聊视频檚 lead attorney Jose Baez said outside the courthouse. 91裸聊视频淚 have seen vehicular homicide and other cases where there91裸聊视频檚 death, and the defendant still gets less than 10 years.91裸聊视频�
Baez called the sentence 91裸聊视频渞eally just another example of someone being punished for their celebrity status and someone being utilized to set an example. And he91裸聊视频檚 not an example. He91裸聊视频檚 a human being.91裸聊视频�
Lanez91裸聊视频檚 lawyers plan to appeal the verdict, and to attempt to have him released on bail while they do.
Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete, was repeatedly praised by prosecutors for her courage in testifying during the case and enduring online campaigns of hatred directed at her.
91裸聊视频淚 hope that Miss Pete91裸聊视频檚 bravery gives hope to those who feel helpless,91裸聊视频� said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc贸n of Megan at a news conference after the sentencing.
Prosecutors had sought a 13-year prison sentence. Legally, Lanez had been eligible for up to 22.
During Monday91裸聊视频檚 session, Lanez91裸聊视频檚 father, Sonstar Peterson, choked back tears as he talked about how the rapper91裸聊视频檚 mother died when he was 11, just days after she first showed symptoms of the rare blood disorder that would lead to her death.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think anybody ever gets over that,91裸聊视频� he said of their youngest child, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson. 91裸聊视频淏ut his music became his outlet.91裸聊视频�
Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major-label albums. His last two reached the top 10 on Billboard91裸聊视频檚 charts.
Megan Thee Stallion, now 28, was already a major rising star at the time of the shooting, and her prominence has surged since. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and she had No. 1 singles with 91裸聊视频淪avage,91裸聊视频� featuring , and as a guest on 91裸聊视频淲础笔.91裸聊视频�
The elder Peterson, who is a Christian minister, was one of several people who gave statements on Lanez91裸聊视频檚 character and charitable giving 91裸聊视频� as did the mother of Lanez91裸聊视频檚 son. Dozens more wrote letters to Herriford, including who asked the judge to hand down a sentence that was 91裸聊视频渢ransformative, not life-destroying.91裸聊视频�
Herriford said Lanez91裸聊视频檚 6-year-old also sent in a handwritten letter, but the judge did not describe it further.
Lanez91裸聊视频檚 family and supporters have packed the courtroom; during the trial, they contended his prosecution was unjustly brought on by Megan and powerful figures in music. After the verdict was read in December, Lanez91裸聊视频檚 father denounced the 91裸聊视频渨icked system91裸聊视频� that led to his son91裸聊视频檚 conviction; on Monday, Sonstar Peterson apologized to Herriford for the outburst.
The judge had handed several small victories to each side during the sentencing hearing.
He found that Megan, who was in an isolated area wearing only a bathing suit with no shoes, was an especially vulnerable victim when she was shot, but that Lanez was not overly cruel or callous in firing at her.
The judge found that Lanez posed no threat to public safety and that his lack of a criminal record should work in his favor.
Lanez91裸聊视频檚 lawyers argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his mother91裸聊视频檚 death and other childhood difficulties. That stress led to serious alcohol abuse as an adult, they said.
But the judge agreed with prosecutors that those mental illnesses should not be considered in the sentencing, and in the end gave prosecutors most of what they wanted.
Under California law, Lanez was only allowed probation in the case if the judge found unusual circumstances.
The judge found that the case was only unusual because of the two famous people involved, which he said was not a factor.
91裸聊视频淗e should not be treated severely because he91裸聊视频檚 a celebrity,91裸聊视频� Hereford said, 91裸聊视频渘or should he be treated with leniency because he91裸聊视频檚 a celebrity.91裸聊视频�
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