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New FilingCivil Rights / NegligencePrison Conditions

Daystar Peterson (Tory Lanez) v. CDCR

Rapper Tory Lanez sues California's prison system after being stabbed 16 times behind bars - both lungs collapsed, stabbed in the back, torso, and head.

FiledApril 14, 2026
CourtU.S. District Court, C.D. California
IncidentMay 12, 2025 at CCI Tehachapi
โ˜… Docket ยท Primary Sources
Case No. 2:26-cv-03991 · C.D. California
๐Ÿ“‚ CourtListener Docket โ†’ ๐Ÿ“„ Complaint (PDF) โ†’
C.D. Cal. ยท Peterson v. Doe Correction Officers et al. ยท filed Apr 14, 2026 ยท 7 causes of action ยท $100M damages
Parties
Plaintiff
Daystar Peterson
a.k.a. Tory Lanez · Serving 10-year sentence
v.
Defendant
CDCR / Warden Danny Samuel
California Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation · Doe Correction Officers 1-50
Attorneys
For Plaintiff
Crystal Morgan & Ronda Dixon
Morgan Legal Services, PLLC · Dixon Justice Center
 
For Defendant
California Attorney General's Office

Background

Daystar Peterson, known professionally as Tory Lanez, is serving a 10-year sentence at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi after being convicted in December 2022 on three felony firearm charges related to the July 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.

On May 12, 2025, Peterson was attacked in the prison yard and stabbed 16 times - seven wounds to the back, four to his torso, two to the back of his head, and one under his left cheekbone that left his jaw open. Both lungs collapsed. He was airlifted by ambulance to a hospital in Bakersfield.

The attacker, identified as inmate Santino Casio, later told TMZ he stabbed Peterson after hearing rumors the rapper had put a bounty on him. Peterson's attorneys called that claim "an absurd fabrication" and described the attack as "savage and ferocious."

Peterson is now suing CDCR and the State of California, alleging the prison failed to protect him despite known threats, constituting negligence and a violation of his civil rights.

Key Claims

1
8th Amendment โ€” Failure to Protect (42 U.S.C. ยง 1983) โ€” Warden Samuel and officers knowingly housed Peterson with maximum-security violent predator Santino Casio, violating CDCR classification protocols.
2
14th Amendment โ€” Deliberate Indifference (42 U.S.C. ยง 1983) โ€” Defendants created or enhanced the danger by placing a high-profile celebrity inmate with a known violent offender serving life for murder.
3
Negligence (Gov. Code ยง 844.6) โ€” Failure to follow housing classification regulations, understaffing that prevented immediate intervention during the attack.
4
Negligent Supervision / Training (Monell Policy Claim) โ€” Patterns of understaffing, improper classification, and property mishandling constitute institutional policy failures.
5
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress โ€” The near-fatal stabbing, permanent scarring, and ongoing safety risk constitute extreme and outrageous conduct.
6
Violation of Privacy Rights (Cal. Const. Art. I ยง 1) โ€” While Peterson was hospitalized fighting for his life, CDCR seized his original song books containing unpublished lyrics with commercial value.
7
Conversion โ€” Unlawful seizure of Peterson's personal property including song books and privileged attorney-client notes; no inventory, receipt, or return provided.
Why It Matters

This case sits at the intersection of celebrity, prison violence, and institutional accountability. Peterson's legal team has simultaneously called for Governor Newsom to pardon or commute his sentence, citing the stabbing as evidence that continued confinement is a threat to his life. His appeal of the original Megan Thee Stallion conviction was denied by the California Court of Appeal (46-page opinion, Nov 2025) and the California Supreme Court (Feb 2026). His team plans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court. A petition for clemency has collected over 300,000 signatures.