COMPTON, Calif. — Marion “Suge” Knight will remain behind bars for the next six weeks while attorneys prepare for a hearing in which evidence of numerous uncharged crimes allegedly committed by the former rap mogul might be presented.
Knight is charged with murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run after he struck two men in a Compton parking lot during a Jan. 29 confrontation.
The decision to keep him jailed came at a hearing Monday that also shed some light on Knight’s recent hospitalization.
His attorney, David Kenner, said the Death Row Records co-founder passed out and had serious breathing problems after his arraignment last week.
He didn’t elaborate on Knight’s ailments but said he doesn’t think his client is receiving adequate care.
“Right now we’re at the mercy of what the Los Angeles County jail decides is appropriate or not appropriate,” Kenner said.
Knight sat with his head cocked to the side during much of Monday’s hearing, which was supposed to address whether bail should be set for him.
A prosecutor and Knight’s attorneys sought a delay to prepare for the hearing, which Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Barnes said might include evidence of a “very large stack of uncharged crimes.”
She declined to elaborate on the cases.
Kenner said he had not seen any details about the uncharged crimes, but he is not worried about them.
He said once the alleged crimes are detailed in court, he expects to challenge them and “make sure what we’re getting is the truth.”
Knight has pleaded not guilty in the murder case and is due back in court March 20. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
Knight, 49, complained of chest pains and was briefly hospitalized after entering his plea.
Superior Court Judge Richard Ocampo denied a request to allow Knight to be evaluated by his personal physician. Ocampo said doctors with the county jail system were adequate to treat Knight, and his attorney should give them information about Knight’s ailments.
Kenner said he would file details about his client’s health under seal. But he noted after Monday’s hearing that he doesn’t think Knight should have been discharged from the hospital.
Last year, doctors found a blood clot in Knight’s chest after he passed out at a Las Vegas jail, where he was being held after being arrested on a robbery charge filed in Los Angeles. His attorneys at the time said the clot was related to Knight being shot six times in August at a nightclub.
Knight was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s, and his label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists. But Knight lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy.
Authorities contend Knight intentionally struck Carter and another man in the parking lot of a Compton burger stand, but his attorneys have said he was trying to flee a vicious attack. Carter’s funeral was held Saturday and attracted nearly 2,000 people.
The confrontation occurred after Knight got into an argument at a location where a promotion video for the film “Straight Outta Compton” was being shot. The film is about the rise of the rap group N.W.A.
In court Monday, Knight politely responded when Barnes asked whether he approved of a delay in his case to give both sides time to prepare for the bail review hearing.
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