First Rule Of Defending Clients In The Public Eye: Don't Get Goaded Into Slurring
He should have just... you know... kinda moved his hands around to get at the point. Like a gentleman.
As Megan Thee Stallion’s case against Tory Lanez develops, we’ve been treated to a masterclass in the stakes of the courthouse in the public eye. Brilliant optics have been deployed from all sides — Megan’s donning the business bob cut and stop domestic violence purple suit combo and Tory’s wholesome father image with son in tow as he leaves the courtroom both attest to this. However, it would appear that Lanez’s defense attorney didn’t do his due diligence and read the rules of race-laden cases: If you aren’t Johnny Cochran — and especially if you aren’t Black — it probably isn’t a good idea to repeatedly use slurs mid-trial.
The mood quickly tensed again when Mgdesyan again asked Megan why she didn’t tell the officers at the hospital that she had been shot…That led the defense to swiftly quote a snippet of her Instagram Live video from Aug. 20, 2020, when the “WAP” rapper named Lanez as her alleged shooter publicly for the first time.
The Houston-bred artist looked visibly shocked when [George] Mgdesyan said aloud, “But I’m not finna let y’all keep playing in my face, and I’m not finna let this n—a keep playing in my face, either.” Mgdesyan is not Black and recited the uncensored version of the N-word, leading Megan to request that he repeat the full line. Upon doing so, Mgdesyan again used the uncensored version of the word.
Of course this isn’t a new no-no. At this point, we’ve all seen people jumping through hoops to not only justify, but commend themselves on their use of slurs in the public eye ranging from law professors, presumably Lanez’s counsel, and… vegans apparently?
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Word to the unwise? This case is contentious enough without adding slurs to the flames.
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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