Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in California — and his time behind bars has been far from quiet. In April 2026, the rapper filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) after he was stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate in May 2025. At the same time, his legal team is pursuing a new appeal based on alleged evidence that was withheld at trial, and he is requesting a pardon from California Governor Gavin Newsom. This page covers everything you need to know about Tory Lanez’s current prison status, the stabbing, the lawsuit, and where his legal fight stands in 2026.
Last updated: April 28, 2026
Who Is Tory Lanez?
Tory Lanez — real name Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson — is a 33-year-old Canadian-American rapper, singer, and record producer. Born on July 27, 1992, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, he grew up partly in the United States and built a successful music career with hits across hip-hop and R&B. He released chart-topping albums including Alone at Prom and Daystar, the latter of which addressed the criminal allegations that would define his later years. At his peak, Lanez was one of the most streamed artists in the world. His career took a dramatic turn in July 2020 when he was accused of shooting fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Why Is Tory Lanez in Prison?
Tory Lanez was convicted in December 2022 of three felony charges: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. The charges stemmed from a July 2020 incident in Hollywood Hills, California, in which Megan Thee Stallion — real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete — was shot in both feet after leaving a party at Kylie Jenner’s home.
On August 8, 2023, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford sentenced Lanez to 10 years in California state prison. The sentence was the maximum allowed under the plea agreement. Lanez has maintained his innocence throughout, and his case drew enormous public attention and debate on social media.
In November 2025, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld both his conviction and his sentence, finding no ineffective assistance of counsel or prejudicial trial court error. His legal team subsequently announced plans to escalate the appeal to the California Supreme Court.
The Prison Stabbing: What Happened?
On May 12, 2025, Tory Lanez was brutally attacked while incarcerated at the California Correctional Institution (CCI) in Tehachapi, California. He was stabbed 16 times — in his back, torso, head, and face — by fellow inmate Santino Casio, who was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. The weapon used was a homemade shank.
The attack was severe enough to cause a collapsed lung. Lanez was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment. He survived but sustained lasting injuries, including significant facial scarring. Prison officials confirmed the attack and said Lanez was subsequently transferred to a different facility — the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County, a lower-security institution.
His legal team and family raised immediate concerns about how the attack could have occurred, questioning why Lanez — a high-profile celebrity inmate — had been housed alongside a known violent lifer.
The $100 Million Lawsuit Explained
On April 17, 2026, Tory Lanez filed a federal civil lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), as well as the warden and correctional officers at CCI Tehachapi who were responsible for his housing placement and safety at the time of the attack.
The lawsuit makes several key allegations:
- Negligent housing: The suit argues that prison officials knew, or should have known, that housing Lanez alongside Casio — a convicted murderer serving a life sentence — posed a serious and foreseeable danger. The lawsuit states: “The choice to house Casio with Peterson was known or should have been a known danger.”
- Failure to protect a high-profile inmate: The filing argues that Lanez’s “high-profile celebrity status” made him a particular target and that correctional staff failed to take appropriate protective measures.
- Inadequate response: The lawsuit alleges that officers were slow to intervene during the attack, and that no standard protective measures — such as flash grenades or smoke bombs — were deployed to stop the assault.
- Seizure of personal property: The suit also claims that prison authorities unlawfully seized Lanez’s handwritten songbooks containing unpublished lyrics of significant commercial value and refused to return them.
The damages sought break down to approximately $1 million per stab wound and $10 million for permanent facial scarring. This is a federal civil rights lawsuit filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which allows individuals to sue state actors for constitutional violations. The CDCR has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit as of publication.
Appeal, Brady Violation & Pardon Request
Separate from the civil lawsuit, Tory Lanez’s legal team is simultaneously pursuing a new criminal appeal — this time to the California Supreme Court. The basis for the appeal is an alleged Brady violation: the claim that prosecutors failed to disclose evidence to the defense that could have been materially favorable to Lanez at trial.
Specifically, his attorneys point to a pathology report from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center dated July 14, 2020, which references a hospital security employee retrieving an evidence bag containing a “foreign body.” The document matches Megan Thee Stallion’s date of birth, but his attorneys argue this was never turned over during discovery. The defence contends this could relate to the presence or absence of bullet fragments consistent with their theory of the case.
In his first on-camera interview from prison — conducted with NBC News — Lanez stated: “I believe not only that I was wrongfully convicted, but the amount of new evidence that has emerged since that trial, I think, has been overwhelming.”
In addition to the appeal, Lanez has formally requested a pardon or commutation from California Governor Gavin Newsom. His legal team submitted a clemency petition following the stabbing attack, citing both the Brady violation claims and the violence Lanez experienced while incarcerated. As of April 2026, there has been no public indication from the Governor’s office that a pardon or commutation will be granted. Notably, Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna publicly called for Lanez’s pardon and stated she believes new evidence will exonerate him.
How the US Prison System Works: Context
For those unfamiliar with the US corrections system, understanding Tory Lanez’s situation requires some background on how California state prisons function and what rights prisoners retain.
California operates one of the largest state prison systems in the United States, managed by the CDCR. When an individual is sentenced to state prison — as Lanez was — they are classified and assigned to a facility based on factors such as the nature of their offense, their criminal history, and assessed risk level. Housing decisions, including cell and unit assignments, are made by correctional staff and are supposed to account for safety risks, including an inmate’s profile and known threats.
Prisoners in the US do not lose all constitutional rights upon incarceration. Under the Eighth Amendment, they are protected from cruel and unusual punishment, which courts have interpreted to include a duty of care by prison officials to protect inmates from known risks of violence from other inmates. A Section 1983 lawsuit — the type Lanez filed — is the standard legal vehicle through which inmates and former inmates sue state officials for constitutional violations including failure to protect.
California also has a formal clemency process through the Governor’s office, which can include pardons, commutations, or reprieves. A pardon does not typically negate a conviction but can restore certain civil rights; a commutation reduces a sentence. Both require a formal application and review process.
For more information on how US prisons work, sentencing guidelines, and prisoner rights, see our guides on federal vs. state prison and US prison information.
Tory Lanez Current Status in 2026
As of April 2026, here is a summary of where things stand for Tory Lanez:
- Location: California Men’s Colony, San Luis Obispo County (transferred after the stabbing)
- Sentence: 10 years, imposed August 8, 2023
- Earliest possible release: Potentially the early 2030s, subject to good-time credits and parole eligibility
- Civil lawsuit: $100M federal lawsuit filed April 17, 2026 — ongoing
- Criminal appeal: Being prepared for California Supreme Court, based on Brady violation claim
- Pardon request: Submitted to Governor Newsom — no decision as of publication
The confluence of the high-profile lawsuit, the new appeal, and his mother’s public hints that he could be “coming home soon” have all contributed to a surge in public interest in Tory Lanez’s case in April 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tory Lanez still in prison in 2026?
Yes. As of April 2026, Tory Lanez remains incarcerated in the California state prison system. He is currently being held at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County after being transferred following a violent stabbing attack at CCI Tehachapi in May 2025. He is serving a 10-year sentence for the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion and has not been released, pardoned, or granted a commutation as of this writing.
Why did Tory Lanez sue California for $100 million?
Tory Lanez filed a $100 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in April 2026 after he was stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate — convicted murderer Santino Casio — on May 12, 2025. The lawsuit alleges that prison officials were negligent in housing Casio alongside Lanez, failed to adequately protect a high-profile inmate, responded too slowly to the attack, and unlawfully seized Lanez’s songbooks containing unpublished lyrics.
When could Tory Lanez be released from prison?
Tory Lanez received a 10-year sentence in August 2023. With good behaviour credits and time served accounted for, he could potentially be released in the early 2030s. However, his release timeline depends on factors including his conduct in prison, parole board decisions, and whether any appeal or clemency request is granted. There is no confirmed early release date as of April 2026.
What is the Brady violation Tory Lanez is claiming?
A Brady violation occurs when prosecutors fail to disclose evidence that could be materially favourable to the defence — a constitutional requirement under the landmark US Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland (1963). Lanez’s legal team claims that a pathology report from Cedars-Sinai, dated July 2020, references a retrieved evidence bag that was never disclosed during his 2022 trial. If proven, this could form the basis for overturning his conviction. However, proving a Brady violation requires demonstrating both that the evidence was withheld and that it would have materially affected the verdict — a high legal bar.
Has Tory Lanez asked for a pardon from Governor Newsom?
Yes. Tory Lanez’s legal team has formally requested a pardon or commutation from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The request was submitted in the wake of the prison stabbing and cites both the Brady violation claims and the serious injuries Lanez suffered while in custody. As of April 2026, no pardon or commutation has been granted by the Governor’s office. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has publicly voiced support for Lanez’s pardon.