Weeks after Tory Lanez was convicted on assault charges against Meghan Thee Stallion, he replaced his legal attorney with Suge Knight’s lawyer, David Kenner. Legal reporter Meghan Cuniff, in a tweet, noted that David Kenner confirmed with her that he would be replacing Lanez's former attorney George Mgdesyan in his case.
Kenner, who has represented Suge Knight and Snoop Dogg in the past, is set to take over Lanez’s case ahead of his sentencing hearing scheduled for January 27.
Rolling Stone reported that Lanez’s appearance in court on January 10, was for “substitution of attorney.”
Meanwhile, Mgdesyan noted that he parted ways with Lanez on good terms and that he would still attend Lanez’s hearing. As per Rolling Stone, Mgdesyan said:
“I don’t do appeals. So we had to get somebody on board to handle the appeal.”
He also said:
“As a party who represented Tory and is friends with Tory, I have an interest.”
Tory Lanez's attorney David Kenner helped Snoop Dogg beat a murder case
Cuniff noted that Kenner represented Suge in the ‘90s for a robbery case. She further clarified that Kenner did not represent the music executive in the case which got him 28 years in prison, in which he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for a hit-and-run on the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton in October 2018.
Among Kenner’s legal victories is also helping Snoop Dogg beat his 1993 murder case.
Meghan Cunniff, who has extensively covered the Tory Lanez case, on Twitter wrote:
“Kenner's biggest claim to fame appears to be getting Snoop Dogg acquitted of murder aka 'murder was the case that they gave me.' He told me he has a video of Snoop at his 80th birthday party saying, 'Without David Kenner, there'd be no Snoop Dogg.'"
Snoop Dogg’s case revolved around the shooting of an LA gang member named Philip Woldemariam, who was shot dead three years prior.
Will Tory Lanez's new attorney David Kenner take more time to evaluate the case?
Cunniff took to Twitter to express that it would have been better if Kenner had joined Tory Lanez before the trial began. Stating that he is joining the case "a bit late," she mentioned:
"Kenner is a longtime criminal defense attorney whose clients include former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight. Anyone with actual experience in criminal law (not all lawyers) will tell you he's joining the case a bit late: Before trial would have been better."
According to Cunniff, Tory’s court appearance on January 10 was aimed at delivering his post-conviction motions to reduce the felonies he was found guilty of. She also noted that he would request a new trial based on his perceived issues with evidence and witnesses. She stated that these are standard practices and procedures. However, Kenner is a new attorney for the case and would take more time to evaluate the case.
Before Lanez hired Kenner, Mgdesyan was looking over his case. Uproxx reported that during the trial, Mgdesyan called a witness to help clear Tory Lanez of the charges against him for firing the shots that wounded Megan Thee Stallion.
The witness ended up confirming that it was the “smaller guy” who held and fired the gun, furthering the assault charge on Lanez and the related negligent discharge of a firearm count.
Tory Lanez was later convicted of three charges in the case. These included assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a concealed, unregistered firearm, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.