A judge Friday set an Aug. 1 trial date for former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, who is charged with murdering one man and injuring another with his pickup truck in Compton last year.
When Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen asked Knight if the trial date was all right with him, Knight responded, “I don’t have a trial attorney yet.”
He later added, “I’m ready, your honor.”
Attorneys estimated that testimony in the trial would last about two weeks.
Defense attorney Thaddeus J. Culpepper said outside court, “We want to assemble a trial team a la O.J. Simpson,” referring to the former football star who was acquitted of double-murder charges following a high-profile, televised trial.
Culpepper said the defense hopes to have its trial team in place within a couple of weeks.
Knight has had a string of lawyers since his arrest in January 2015. High-profile attorney Thomas Mesereau — who successfully defended singer Michael Jackson against child molestation charges — left Knight’s case last month.
Knight, 50, is charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run for allegedly killing 55-year-old Terry Carter and injuring Cle “Bone” Sloan on Jan. 29, 2015, with his pickup truck in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers in the 1200 block of West Rosecrans Avenue.
He is awaiting trial separately along with comedian Micah “Katt” Williams in a case charging the two with stealing a camera from a female paparazzo in September 2014.
