Photo: Getty Images
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has moved to dismiss the $100 million lawsuit Tory Lanez recently filed following his brutal prison attack.
According to a report AllHipHop published on Thursday, July 30, attorneys for the CDCR filed a motion to drop the federal complaint Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, made back in April. The state argues that it can't be held liable for the incident due to federal civil rights law. They also contend that the 11th Amendment, which protects state governments from being sued in federal court by people from foreign countries, grants them full immunity from all of Peterson's allegations.
Peterson, who's a Canadian citizen, was stabbed by Santino Casio on May 12, 2025, at 7:20 a.m. while he was in the yard at the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi. The artist's team confirmed he was struck at least 14 times, including 7 wounds to his back, 4 to his torso, 2 to the back of his head, and 1 to the left side of his face. He was rushed to a nearby hospital before he was airlifted to Kern Medical Hospital in Bakersfield. Lanez was placed on a breathing device after both of his lungs collapsed following the stabbing.
In his lawsuit, Peterson accused the prison of mistakenly placing him in a cell with someone who had a "violent history" before the attack. The artist argued Casio shouldn't have been assigned to his cell amid his celebrity status. He accused Warden Danny Samuel of violating CDCR protocols by placing him in the same cell as Casio. He also claimed the prison's guards were nowhere to be seen while Casio attacked him, and alleged there was a delay in response during the stabbing.
The singer also accused the staff of failing to protect him and confiscating his original songbooks while he recovered in the hospital. The books were filled with unreleased lyrics and notes from conversations with his attorney. He claimed the lyrics have "substantial commercial value." Peterson sought $10 million for his facial scarring and $1 million for each stab wound he sustained. He also requested his songbooks to be returned to him.
Peterson has been locked up since 2022 after he was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of all charges. His attempts to overturn his convictions were denied by both the California Court of Appeal and the state Supreme Court.