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Suge Knight's Lawyers Charged With Trying To Bribe Witnesses In His Upcoming Murder Trial
Lawyers for Death Row Records honcho Suge Knight are in trouble.
The lawyers behind Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight are now in legal trouble of their own.
One current and one former attorney for the 52-year-old rap honcho have been indicted on charges that include conspiring to bribe potential witnesses in Knight's upcoming murder trial, as reported by the Associated Press on Billboard.
Authorities believe that lawyer Matthew Fletcher attempted to pay witnesses who could provide favorable testimony at Knight’s trial and that Thaddeus Culpepper told a confidential informant that he would provide false testimony.
Both men are also charged with three other felony counts.
Both lawyers are being represented by Mark Geragos and did not respond to comment from the Associated Press. The duo was released Monday on their own recognizance and they're slated to be arraigned March 16.
In 2015, Knight was charged with murder after a fatal hit-and-run. Authorities believe that Knight argued with two men and later deliberately ran them over with his truck. The incident took place at a promotional shoot for the N.W.A. rap biopic "Straight Outta Compton."
“We have several witnesses who saw him run over the men. It looked to them it was intentional,” Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s homicide bureau said, according to The Wrap, at the time. “They said it was an intentional act, that he ran the two individuals over. But we want to talk to him.”
One victim, Terry Carter, died at the hospital while another, Cle "Bone" Sloan, was injured. It's unclear what the motive was behind the crash and whether it was intentional. In an interview with The Guardian, a producer who knows Knight and the victims shared that Knight and Carter were actually friends.
“I don’t think Suge’s actions were intended to harm Terry Carter,” said David Weldon. “No matter how much the media is going to demonize him, I know that they were pretty cool with each other.”
Knight pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2015. He faces life if convicted, according to CNN.
As the head of Death Row Records, Knight enjoyed much success in the '90s. He was instrumental in the careers of Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. In recent years, his public image has been plagued by legal strife and health concerns.
[Photo: Getty Images]
