Overview

• Lanez’s attorney argued prosecutors mischaracterized DNA results, claiming it was "one in a million" that his DNA was on the gun and suggesting it was marginally more likely to belong to another Black person.
• Prosecutors countered that the trial record was strong, citing moments they say Lanez tacitly accepted responsibility and calling the overall evidence compelling.
• The defense asserted constitutional violations, including limits on cross-examining Kelsey Harris and jurors being misled when a promised witness, Justin Edison, did not testify.
• Days before the hearing, the appeals court rejected two defense petitions alleging due process violations and lack of access to evidence, with prosecutors noting the gun remains in LAPD custody and further DNA testing would not prove actual innocence.
• Lanez was convicted in 2022 and is serving a 10-year sentence imposed in 2023, with parole eligibility in November 2029, and he can seek California Supreme Court review if the current appeal fails.