A civil trial in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Suge Knight stemming from a 2015 incident ended in a mistrial on Wednesday (June 22).
The jurors were deadlocked seven to five in favor of the plaintiffs, the Los Angeles Times reports. Their inability to come to a conclusion led to the mistrial decision.
The case stems from an incident on the set of the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton involving Knight and two men, Terry Carter and Cle “Bone” Sloan. The men reportedly got into a dispute, which resulted in Knight striking the two men with his truck and killing Carter.
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Carter’s widow, Lillian Carter, and his two daughters, Crystal and Nekaya, attended each day of the trial and told Rolling Stone that they plan to bring the case again. “It’s unfortunate, but the jury worked very hard. It feels good to know we were the majority,” Crystal said. “We look forward to trying the case again to get victory for my dad. To get justice.”
Knight’s lawyer, David Kenner, also told Rolling Stone that his client, who is serving 28 years behind bars after pleading no contest to the voluntary manslaughter of Carter, was “relieved.” Knight was originally charged with murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run after fleeing the scene.
The plea deal calls for Knight to serve 22 years in prison on the voluntary manslaughter count and another six years because it is a third-strike violation.
“He finally got to tell his side of the story,” Kenner told Rolling Stone. “He had a viable defense. This case had two sides to it. Of all the history of Suge Knight and Death Row, this was not the case that should have been utilized to shut him down.”
