Suge Knight needs a new lawyer, with just weeks to go before his scheduled murder trial.
At a tense hearing Monday, a Los Angeles judge repeatedly asked Knight what he wanted to do after his attorney Thaddeus Culpepper was indicted on felony conspiracy charges made public last week.
“Culpepper is off the case,” Knight announced after briefly conferring with Culpepper in court.
“Mr. Culpepper, you are removed,” Judge Ronald Coen ruled, ordering he surrender all evidence in his possession by Wednesday.
Knight’s last-remaining lawyer, Dominique Banos, then asked for a “couple weeks” to find a new co-counsel.
“You can come back in two days,” Judge Ronald Coen replied, showing his frustration that it’s already been three years since Knight hit the gas on his Ford Raptor truck and hit two men in a Compton parking lot in January 2015 — killing local businessman Terry Carter.
The judge set a March 23 hearing at which Knight is due to announce his new counsel.
Knight, who has cycled through at least five lead lawyers since he was jailed in the case, also expressed his frustration Monday.
“I just want to say one thing your honor,” Knight piped up before deputies led him away.
“Remember the movie ‘Crash?'” he asked Coen, recalling the 2004 movie by Paul Haggis about racial prejudice in Los Angeles.
He recounted a scene in which Anthony, played by rapper and actor Chris (Ludacris) Bridges, lectures a friend about riding the bus, saying it’s degrading. Later in the movie, Anthony violates some of his own principles.
Knight said Monday that his prior lawyer, Matthew Fletcher, who was indicted along with Culpepper, previously advised him not to pursue certain lawyers.
He complained that since then, Fletcher has purportedly hired lawyer Mark Geragos for his own defense.
“Fletcher, he says, ‘Don’t mess with these white attorneys.’ Next thing I know, he got Geragos,” Knight said in court. “I feel like the movie ‘Crash.'”
Geragos confirmed Monday that he’s representing Fletcher — and took issue with Knight’s characterization of him.
“I take great offense to that. I’m not white. I’m Armenian,” Geragos told the Daily News.
Knight, 52, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Carter in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers.
Prosecutors say Knight was upset with his depiction in the film “Straight Outta Compton” and intentionally steered his car toward Carter and another man, Cle (Bone) Sloan, who had been working security on the movie.
Knight has claimed he was the victim of an armed ambush and drove his truck forward through the parking lot to escape.
The former rap mogul behind Death Row Records is also facing felony accusations he threatened “Straight Outta Compton” director F. Gary Gray.
A judge on that case said Monday that prosecutors should continue sharing discovery with Banos ahead of a pre-trial hearing, which was also continued to March 23.
As she left the courthouse, Banos said it was “hard to tell” whether the murder case will continue with its scheduled trial next month.
“It is possible,” she told The News, but it will depend on who she and Knight find to join the defense team over the next few days.
“I need a co-counsel. There’s just too much going on,” she said. “It would be up to the other attorney we bring on.”
Fletcher and Culpepper are due for arraignment Friday.
Prosecutors claim they conspired to bribe witnesses in the murder case.
They have denied any wrongdoing in prior comments to The News and questioned the tactics of prosecutors, including the recording of their jail calls with Knight.
“We not only plan on contesting (the case) but think it’s both factually and legally incorrect — and actually quite frightening to anyone practicing criminal defense,” Geragos told The News Monday. “I’m greatly disturbed by how this unfolded, and we’ll have more to say once we’re in court.
