Suge Knight holds onto lawyer despite conflict, says, “I just want a fair trial”

Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is holding onto his long-time attorney, David Kenner, refusing to let him withdraw from his 2015 hit-and-run case, which resulted in the death of Compton businessman Terry Carter.

Kenner has requested to be relieved of his duties, claiming that there has been a “conflict of interest.” He told the court that his defence hadn’t paid him for the previous trial in 2022 and had failed to subpoena witnesses or retain an investigator, reported Rolling Stone.

However, Judge Thomas Long has denied Kenner's motion to withdraw, calling it untimely given the imminent trial date, and has ordered the trial to proceed with Kenner as Knight's attorney. Knight has emphasized his desire to resolve the matter fairly, and he does not want any delay. He told the judge,

“I’m trying to communicate on the phone, and no one takes my phone calls. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I just want to have a fair trial, and I need to communicate.”

According to a report by Fox News, the 53-year-old was sentenced to 28 years in state prison in 2018 after he mowed down Carter and injured another man, Cle “Bone” Sloan outside a Compton burger stand in January 2015. Here is everything we know about the ongoing tension between Knight and Kenner.

How has Suge Knight’s attorney David Kenner responded to his requests for a “fair trial”?

Suge Knight’s attorney, David Kenner, has responded to Knight’s requests for a “fair trial” by expressing serious concerns about his ability to competently represent Knight in the upcoming wrongful death civil retrial.

According to a report in Rolling Stone, the judge has asked the rapper to talk to Kenner and resolve the issue so that they could proceed with the case. During the hearing which took place on April 21, 2025, Judge Thomas Long reminded Knight that it was not typical for defendants to interrupt proceedings, and advised him to talk to Kenner first.

He responded:

“But I don’t talk to my counsel. I’m trying to communicate on the phone, and no one takes my phone calls. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I just want to have a fair trial, and I need to communicate. Over the weekend, I would call, and nobody ever takes my calls. If the court could let Mr. Kenner know I called to talk, and we need to communicate.”

Kenner, however, told the court the following, and requested an unrecorded call with Knight:

“The reason I have not been talking is because Mr. Knight calls on a recorded line, and I don’t like discussing legal strategy on a recorded line.”

According to the report, the judge scheduled the jury selection process to start on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, with a panel of prospective jurors. He further informed during the hearing that opening statements and testimony are expected to begin from next week.

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