Posted on 04/01/2006 2:57:42 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight failed to appear at a court-ordered debtor hearing Saturday, triggering legal actions which a judge had warned would place his Death Row Records in receivership.
In addition, lawyers suing him plan to ask that he be held in contempt and jailed until he participates in the debtor hearing that requires him to disclose all of his assets.
At issue is an unpaid judgment against Knight for $107 million that was awarded to Lydia Harris, the former Knight associate who claimed she helped start the rap record empire with her former husband, Michael Harris.
Harris, an imprisoned drug dealer serving a 28-year sentence at San Quentin Prison, is claiming half of the $107 million as community property in their divorce.
Harris also claims he put up $1.5 million from behind bars to help start the record label, a contention that Knight has repeatedly denied.
"We're not surprised that Suge Knight continued his evasive tactics today," said attorney Steve Goldberg, who represents Harris. "But this time it's not going to work.
Knight has failed to attend a number of hearings in the case. His lawyer notified opposing counsel on Friday that Knight would not appear at the session scheduled for Saturday at a private law office. He gave no reason.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Sohegian issued an order last week appointing a receiver to take over Death Row Records. But he stayed the order pending Knight's appearance at Saturday's hearing.
"He's had his last chance as far as we're concerned," Goldberg said.
Knight's attorney, Dermot Givens, contacted by phone, declined to comment saying, "We try our cases in the court and not in the press."
Givens also did not appear at the hearing in a private law office. Knight's legal team sent a one-sentence notice to opposing lawyers on Friday saying that Knight would not be there.
Lydia Harris received the $107 million judgment a year ago and the parties have been fighting in court ever since.
Goldberg said attorneys would appear in Sohegian's court on Tuesday to make sure the receivership takes effect and to ask that Knight be held in contempt.
"If he is held in contempt and doesn't appear for the contempt hearing, he would be jailed and the judgment debtor examination would be held in jail," Goldberg said.
He noted that the receiver would take control of all assets of Death Row Records including an extensive music library including the records of Tupak Shakur, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and many other rap legends.
"We are going to ask the receiver to take ownership of the music library and auction it off," Goldberg said.
He predicted this could be "a death sentence for Death Row Records."
Marion 'Suge' Knight is seen in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, in this June 24, 2003 file photo. A judge tentatively placed Death Row Records in receivership Thursday, March 23, 2006, and ordered its founder, rap mogul Suge Knight, to appear at a debtor's hearing if he wants to save his company from that permanent fate. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
The Day The Music Died. < /sarc >
Well , it looks like that old woman imus will have to fawn over knight while he is on a pay phone.
Suge Knight doesn't belong free in a civilized society. He should be sharing a cell with Don King somewhere cold for a long, long time..
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