Tory Lanez Trial: Jury Begins Deliberation

BYAron A.2.1K Views
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 30: Tory Lanez attends the 2022 Parlor Games Celebrity Basketball Classic at the Cox Pavilion on April 30, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)
A jury will determine whether Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion after hearing closing arguments.

The prosecutors and defense rested their cases in Tory Lanez's trial and now, the jury's off to deliberate the verdict.

Following testimony from a number of witnesses, including Megan Thee Stallion herself, the jury will not determine whether or not the Canadian rapper shot the Houston artist. The jury currently consists of five men and seven women.

According to Nancy Dillon, the jury heard the defense rest their case around and then received the case at 11:15 a.m. PT.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Tory Lanez attends 2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Erik Voake/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

At this point, the jury has until the end of the day to come up with a verdict. If not, they'll be back tomorrow to deliberate on the outcome of the trial. Prosecutors asked for a continuance since Jaquan Smith, Tory Lanez's driver the night, didn't provide a witness statement. However, the defense didn't agree with the motion.

“We believe we have more than enough and we are afraid with the holidays we will lose jurors and it will result in a mistrial,” Tory's lawyer said. Prosecutors felt there was a better chance Quan would come into court if there was a continuance. Still, there's a possibility that the trial could continue after the holiday weekend.

In the prosecution's final word, prosecutor Kathy Ta displayed a chart demonstrating the evidence against Tory Lanez.

"I am a visual learner,” Ta said. “This is how straightforward the evidence in the case is...We really only have three suspects."

The prosecution said that Megan showcased courage when taking the stand. especially as she faced significant backlash online.

Tory Lanez is facing 22 years in prison and deportation if convicted on all counts. He pleaded not guilty to charges of discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.

We'll keep you posted on any more updates surrounding the case.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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