Suge Knight‘s bid for an overturned sentence in his fatal hit-and-run case has been denied. Per Rolling Stone, a Los Angeles County judge rejected his bid as untimely and “not sincere” earlier this week.
In a ruling issued Tuesday (March 4), Judge Laura F. Priver “summarily denied” Knight’s request for a writ of habeas corpus, citing both an untimely filing and a lack of valid legal grounds.
Knight had argued in his March 2023 petition and subsequent filings that various obstacles—such as issues with his permanent prison housing, inadequate legal assistance, the COVID-19 pandemic and blindness in one eye—prevented him from filing sooner. However, the judge dismissed these claims, noting that Knight had been able to submit other legal motions during this period.
“It is clear that the petitioner was not as isolated or as helpless to act as he wishes this court to believe,” Judge Priver wrote. “He was able to file the writ in a timely manner had he chosen to do so,” ultimately rejecting Knight’s appeal.
Knight’s lawyer, David Kenner, strongly disagreed with the decision, calling the ruling “shocking and unconscionable.” As he told the outlet, “I think the court has grossly erred in the decision it rendered. I think it is legally improper and the court did not follow the law.”
Kenner pledged to immediately file a writ of mandate with the appellate court, requesting a hearing on the underlying facts. He asserted that Knight was entitled to an evidentiary hearing before any decision was made.
“She is unilaterally deciding to believe the [district attorney] while disregarding Mr. Knight’s account,” Kenner added. “This is a violation of every constitutional right he has, which, unfortunately, is nothing new in his case.
“This case represents the most egregious abuse of prosecutorial and judicial interference with an accused person’s rights that I have ever witnessed. He had fewer rights to communicate with the lawyer of his choice than detainees at Guantanamo Bay.”
Knight was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2018 after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident. The case stemmed from a 2015 confrontation in Compton, California, during the production of the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.
Knight ran over two men, Cle “Bone” Sloan and Terry Carter, with his truck in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers. Sloan survived, but Carter was killed. Prosecutors argued that Knight intentionally used his vehicle as a deadly weapon, while Knight maintained he acted in self-defense, claiming he was ambushed and feared for his life.
Knight’s lengthy sentence was largely influenced by his prior criminal history and California’s three-strikes law. Having past convictions for violent felonies, he faced enhanced penalties. Originally charged with murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run, Knight accepted a plea deal to avoid a possible life sentence.
His no-contest plea resulted in 22 years for voluntary manslaughter, with an additional six years added due to his prior strikes.