A California judge refused to allow new witness tampering charges against Tory Lanez who attempted to pay off both Megan Thee Stallion and a key witness.
Prosecutors filed a motion to add 2 new witness tampering charges to the rapper’s long list of charges on Monday. But the judge declined the request, saying it was “unfair at this juncture”.
The new charges stem from testimony that Lanez tried to offer $1 million to Megan Thee Stallion (real name Megan Pete) and Kelsey Harris (pictured) to stay quiet about the shooting.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta filed a motion to add the new charges on Monday, citing California law which makes it a crime to influence a witness.
“It’s based on testimony by both the victim and Ms. (Kelsey) Harris,” about “statements the defendant made in the car, offering them a million dollars” to stay silent about the shooting that wounded Megan in both feet on July 12, 2020, the prosecutor told the court.
But Judge David Herriford said the prosecution waited too long to file the new charges.
Ta said she waited to file her motion because she wasn’t sure how Harris was going to testify. Ta was allowed to play audio in which Harris is heard saying she saw Lanez shoot Megan, so the prosecution decided to file over the alleged “$1 million bribe.”
Lanez’s defense attorney George Mgdsyan objected Monday, saying prosecutors knew since September what Harris was likely to say on the witness stand, and the judge agreed.
“I think it’s unfair at this juncture, so I would deny that motion,” the judge said on Monday.
Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) faces 22 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Also on Monday, a witness contradicted Megan’s testimony that she left Kylie Jenner‘s private party with Tory Lanez and Kelsey Harris.
Megan’s stylist Eric Culberson took the witness stand and testified that Megan and Kelsey left the party in a Cadillac Escalade with a driver before the shooting.
Culberson, a.k.a. E.J. King, said Megan and Kelsey Harris returned in the Escalade to pick up Lanez a short while later. King said he did not see a gun on Lanez at any time during the night.
