Tory Lanez’s attorney, Crystal Morgan, is challenging a $20,000 sanction imposed to prevent the rapper from testifying.
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Tory Lanez’s attorney, Crystal Morgan, has filed an appeal challenging the $20,000 sanctions imposed on her and her client for preventing Tory Lanez from testifying in Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation case.
Morgan filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Monday (December 15) to avoid the hefty payment.
The sanctions stem from Lanez’s refusal to answer questions during a court-ordered deposition related to Megan Thee Stallion’s lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reed found Lanez in contempt of court after he repeatedly refused to cooperate during his testimony. The judge fined Lanez $20,000 for noncompliance and fined Morgan an additional $5,000.
According to court documents, Lanez used “numerous expletives” against Meghan’s legal team and did not answer any questions during the deposition. When Lanez was warned of possible financial penalties, he reportedly dismissed the warnings, citing his status as a millionaire.
The deposition is part of Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation lawsuit against YouTube personality Milagro Gramz. Meghan claims Gramz used her platform to harass and smear her after she testified against Lanez in his 2020 shooting conviction.
The settlement of the defamation case had mixed results for both parties. A Miami jury initially awarded Meghan $75,000 for intentionally inflicting emotional distress and promoting an altered sexual portrayal.
However, a judge later dismissed the defamation charge, ruling that a final judgment against Gramz could not be made on that specific allegation and reducing the damages to $59,000.
The case has now been moved to the Eleventh Circuit, which will review the lower court’s ruling.
The sanctions represent the latest legal developments following the 2020 shooting that resulted in Tory Lanez’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
