Thread by @meghanncuniff

Good morning from Los Angeles, where jurors are continuing to deliberate in Tory Lanez’s assault trial over the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Will they reach a verdict today? I’m at the courthouse and will be posting updates here. 🧵

Here is yesterday's #ToryLanez trial thread in one place. When a verdict is reached, I will update here but also post a separate tweet, based on requests I've seen that explain a separate tweet is the only way to trigger the notifications many have set up. threadreaderapp.com/thread/1605974…

Jury reconvened at 9. Tory was in hallway with his family when I arrived. He's wearing pink again, but his jacket is longer than yesterday's jacket.

Jurors asked asked for a better definition of the word ‘willfully’ and ‘on purpose’ yesterday and were to get their answer today.

LA Superior Court has strict hours, but in federal court, depending on judge, jurors can stay late if they think they can reach a verdict. That's what the jury did in the trial of now-former Republican Nebraska U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry last March. Guilty verdicts about 6:15 pm.

If a verdict is reached today, I'm assuming there will be extra sheriff's deputies in the courtroom and the typical regulations will be in place. Once verdict is read, gallery will be instructed to remain seated until the jury exits the courtroom. No milling about will be allowed

This is an extremely different case and courthouse than the @iamcardib mixtape cover trial in U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney’s courtroom in Santa Ana in October, where we were all allowed to hang out in the courtroom for a bit after the verdict.

It was a magical scene: The jury forewoman hugging Cardi. The plaintiff telling her, "At the end of the day, I do respect you as an artist." Cardi rejecting a paparazzi who tried to hug her.

It meant being able to approach a guy like Cardi's ex-manager Kleonard "Shaft" Raphael.

I don't think Shaft planned to speak with the media about the verdict, but when he's standing in front of a couple reporters who just asked him for his thoughts, how can Shaft do anything but look us both in the eyes and say, "God is good. Spread love."

Background reading while we wait. Here is my article on closing arguments on Wednesday. Tory's lawyer George Mgdesyan's finished his argument on Thursday, followed by rebuttal from Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta. bit.ly/3Vh2QQY

The jury yesterday heard a readback of defense witness Sean Kelly's testimony. He's the Hollywood Hills homeowner who testified he saw Lanez "firing everywhere" and called 911 to report a group beating a woman, but also said the flashes began with a woman. bit.ly/3FKak99

At the risk of getting too off topic, I realized I misspelled Shaft's first name above: It's Klenord. Sorry, Shaft!

He was very fun to watch testify. I remember thinking that while witnesses often can be described as combative, Shaft was merely annoyed. bit.ly/3MYYVWs

A pivotal moment in Tory Lanez's trial occurred last week when Judge Herriford allowed prosecutors to play Kelsey Harris' entire interview with prosecutors, after Tory's lawyer implied in questioning that she was improperly pressured during the interview. bit.ly/3YyXByR

There's no scientific way to predict how long a jury will deliberate, but the rule of thumb repeated by trial lawyers is one day of deliberations for every week of testimony. The longer a judge lets a trial drag on, the longer deliberations are likely to drag on.

More background: Megan Thee Stallion's former friend Kelsey Nicole Harris' about-face on the witness stand was a big moment in trial, but it's also common in court, and it's why prosecutors were able to question her about her September interview. bit.ly/3Yo5ozo

What is uncommon, however, is prosecutors being able to play a recanting witness' entire previous recorded statement, all 80 minutes uninterrupted, and then have the recording back with the jury during deliberations. This article explains how that happened bit.ly/3HQJWwW

The jury in Tory Lanez's trial over the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion has filed out of the courtroom for the standard 90-minute break. They will return at 1:30 p.m.

I'm back in the 15th floor hallway with the rest of the Tory Lanez trial press corps and public trial watchers. I did not see the jurors walk back into the courtroom, but I'm told they did and are deliberating.

It's a quiet hallway scene, with lots of us working (or trying to) and some of us lamenting the fact that we didn't think to arrange one of those white elephant gift exchanges.

On a non-jury deliberations note, all this time at the criminal courthouse in downtown LA reminds me of that time I saw @Carl_Cox in nearby Grand Park in February 2020 and his shadow was being cast onto the courthouse. Was pretty cool. 👑 (15th floor is like six up from his hand)

The court has released the jury notes, the most recent one sent today at 10:11 a.m. Jurors wanted to hear the prosecutors’ gun expert’s testimony about “about double back safety.” They wanted to hear some of Meg’s testimony, too, but changed their minds.

This note shows how Judge Herriford responded this morning to jury's request yesterday afternoon for a better definition of willfully and on purpose.

"Words and phrases not specifically defined in these instructions are to be applied using their ordinary, everyday meanings."

"As to your request for Megan's testimony please clarify what you mean by 'her team' and clarify what time framework you are referring to?"

Jury later said they no longer needed to hear Meg's testimony

The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Tory Lanez for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. It will be read in 30 minutes.

We cannot tweet inside the courtroom. It could take a good 20 minutes at least from the time we go in to when we’re able to get out. I will share the verdict in a separate tweet to trigger your notifications, then I’ll update this thread.

A jury has convicted Tory Lanez of all three charges for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. A crazy and downright scary scene in the courtroom as his father and stepmother screamed about wicked injustice.

Tory Lanez’s father stood up guest and screamed. “This is a wicked system!” He screamed at the prosecutors that they are evil and they know exactly what they did here. His stepmother stood up screaming and yelling. Father was yelling about “Roc Nation.”

Tory Lanez was remanded on the spot, led out in handcuffs by sheriff's deputies. There were six total in the courtroom, two at door and four behind Lanez, and there was quite a scene when they tried to get Lanez's father and stepmother under control.

One woman in the gallery held up her hand as Tory's father was screaming about Roc Nation and wicked injustice, repeating "In the name of Jesus!" Deputies were forcing them all out into the hallway and telling the gallery we had to stay seated.

One woman turned and looked at the reporters sitting behind her, including me, and said, "Jay Z is a bitch. Report that: Jay Z is a bitch."

Right now reporters are in the media area on the 12th floor hoping to get comment from someone. (The 12th floor is the only area where we can record and take photos.) I went outside to see what the scene is like - lots of people but Tory's family isn't around.

I can't get back in courthouse to go back up to the 12th floor, but I'm sure if someone does talk on camera up there it will be readily available and I can post it for the masses. People are a little rattled by the chaotic scene after verdict, lots of adrenaline pumping right now

Megan Thee Stallion’s lawyer has released a statement.

“The jury got it right. I am thankful there is justice for Meg.”

The deputies were able to manage the scene (I heard Tory’s father screaming, “Don’t push me” but never saw a huge fight) but it was very chaotic for several minutes and we could hear Tory’s father’s screams from the hallway.

The deputies yelled at us to stay in the courtroom, then we were allowed to leave but as we were filing out we could hear Tory’s family in the hallway and a deputy told us the hallways wasn’t clear and we needed to go back in courtroom. We didn’t get to leave for another few mins

Tory’s family is on the other side of the courthouse from the media, talking with Tory’s lawyers. They made clear they don’t want to talk publicly.

Tory was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom by deputies, wearing his powder pink pants, white turtleneck and longish jacket. There were young children seated with Tory’s family in the gallery. One girl who appeared about 8 was crying as Tory’s stepmother hugged her.

Someone remarked that @LASuperiorCourt had about as many deputies for the Tory Lanez verdict as it did for Harvey Weinstein, and he’s 70 and in a wheelchair. There were two deputies at the door for the Lanez verdict and four at the door for Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s testimony.

Here is the first draft of my @LawCrimeNews article on the jury convicting Tory Lanez of all three charges, including assault with a firearm, for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Judge Herriford ordered Lanez jailed immediately. bit.ly/3jhLndE

This was the scene outside the courthouse a few minutes ago. A lot of media interviews going on. I’m told no one spoke on camera on the 12th floor, so I didn’t miss anything. LA DA’s office will probably issue a press release.

Judge Herriford scheduled Tory Lanez’s sentencing for Jan. 27. He faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison. I will be updating the @LawCrimeNews article later tonight and will share again when I do. bit.ly/3jhLndE

If any jurors are reading this, if you are interested in speaking about the verdict, I am interested in speaking with you. My Gmail email address is in my profile and my DMs are open.

I gotta admit it’s a little overwhelming to see Meghann Thee Reporter trending nationally on Twitter. Thank you all so much for reading my work these last two weeks. Your support means everything to me.

Tory Lanez, legal name Daystar Peterson, is now listed as in inmate in the Los Angeles County jail system. He was handcuffed in the courtroom after the jury verdict was read and led away by deputies. Guilty on all three charges for the 2020 shooting of Megan @TheeStallion.

LA District Attorney's Office press release on Tory Lanez guilty verdict.

"Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault and sexual violence because they are too often not believed."
da.lacounty.gov/media/news/day…

Regarding the jury, as we learned just before the verdict was read, the jury picked the young white man with the tattoo on his left bicep as the foreman. I described him here.

https://twitter.com/meghanncuniff/status/1606017929870336001

As typically happens after a verdict is read, defense lawyers asked for the jury to be polled, which means each juror was asked indivdually if the verdict is their verdict. The loudest "YES" came from the juror who is a Black man in his 50s or 60s. He really belted out that yes.

I wasn’t outside yet when this happened, but this video of Tory Lanez’s father pretty well captures how he was inside the courtroom after the verdict was read, only it was obviously much more chaotic because all the deputies were trying to control him.

https://twitter.com/theshaderoom/status/1606441785986875399?s=46&t=w4k29uTONmArSetaVbZVUQ

I updated the article a bit. Again, the scene in the courtroom when Tory Lanez's father erupted was chaos. The six young sheriff's deputies were overwhelmed trying to control Lanez's father and stepmother and other supporters while keeping a hand on Lanez. bit.ly/3jhLndE

I think anyone uninvolved in the case who was in the gallery has to still be a little shaken up. No one has ever seen anything like that in court, and I said in a recent interview that I sure hoped the court staff were prepared for chaos if Lanez was convicted. They weren't.

One of the deputies did spot someone in the back of the gallery with a phone out apparently filming Lanez’s father’s eruption (unwise considering it’s illegal here), so of course that became the lasting problem for the court to deal with out of everything that happened.

I’m glad to see the engagement on this tweet about Beyoncé’s husband. One reason I think this is a very good courtroom reaction tweet is because it follows the legal concept of reporting something not for the truth of the matter but to establish state of mind.

https://twitter.com/meghanncuniff/status/1606433969700233216