Former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has lost his access to his phone while behind bars and his family could no longer visit him. This was reportedly due to the request of sheriff's investigators as per court records.
In a report by Billboard, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan cut Knight's access to his phone and non-attorney visitors. The former rap mogul is being investigated after running over two men, killing one, outside a burger stand January last year.
It is unclear what prompted the restrictions as the documents about this have been sealed. The attorney of Knight, Thaddeus Culpepper, did not comment on the development of his client's case. However, it has been reported that the order came a week after Knight reshuffled his legal team for the fifth time since the case started to be investigated. He recently dropped his criminal defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau and placed former prosecutor Stephen Schwartz in the post, Los Angeles Times reported.
Before the restrictions have been imposed, Knight was still allowed to be visited by his parents, seven of his children, two spiritual advisers, his attorneys, and a bail bond agent. He loses all his mail, phone and visitation privileges under the new court order. He could still, however, speak to his attorneys via telephone but he could not conduct a conference call or transfer the call to anyone else.
New York Daily News reported that Knight's fiancée, Toi-Lin Kelly, said in a statement that the order is unfair as his rights were taken away with no explanation. Kelly and Knight has a six-year-old son and the last time he saw him was before Thanksgiving. Kelly added, "Suge was so prevalent in life. He used to take him to school and play with him before studio time. Now it's nothing. They can't even have a phone call."
The man who survived the car accident is said to be seriously injured. His condition has not been specified though. Knights turned himself to the police shortly after the incident took place and his attorney said the rapper was being chased by armed attackers.
Knight has since been held on a $10 million bail and he has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The 50-year-old is due to be back in court on February 22.
