Suge Knight is pushing back against his longtime lawyer's attempt to withdraw from his upcoming wrongful death retrial, keeping the high-profile case on track despite clear tensions between client and counsel.

On Monday, a judge in Los Angeles announced that jury selection for the civil retrial concerning the 2015 death of Terry Carter would begin on Tuesday, allowing the case to move forward.

Knight, appearing by video from prison, insisted that attorney David Kenner remain on the case—even as Kenner pleaded with the court to step down.

"I am not ready because I've had a remedial breakdown in communication with Mr. Knight," Kenner told the court.

He cited a conflict of interest and said he was not prepared to retry a case he originally handled in 2022, which ended in a mistrial.

Kenner also noted that no witnesses had been subpoenaed and no investigator had been hired. He added that Knight had not paid him for the first trial. Despite all this, Knight told the court, "He's my attorney, and I'm not getting rid of him."

Judge Thomas Long denied Kenner's request to withdraw, saying there was no reason the lawyer couldn't still present a capable defense. The judge reminded Knight that he could replace Kenner if he chose, but Knight declined.

Despite the courtroom drama, Kenner remains publicly confident. "We have a superb chance of winning in a subsequent trial," he told Rolling Stone. Knight is expected to testify in his own defense once again.

Suge Knight Demands Fair Trial, Cites Phone Issues With Lawyer

Knight, 60, raised concerns about not being able to reach Kenner by phone. "I'm trying to communicate on the phone, and no one takes my calls," Knight said. "I just want to have a fair trial, and I need to communicate."

Kenner requested the court's approval to hold unrecorded, private phone calls with Knight at the end of each court day.

The judge approved the request, aiming to support better communication between the two.

The wrongful death suit, filed by Terry Carter's widow and daughters, stems from a 2015 incident caught on surveillance video.

According to MyNewsLA, footage shows Knight's truck striking and killing Carter during a heated confrontation near a promotional shoot for Straight Outta Compton.

Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the same case. He has since claimed he took the plea under pressure from a public defender who wasn't prepared for trial.

During a hearing held on Monday, representatives from both parties acknowledged that settlement discussions had broken down.

Judge Long confirmed that the trial will proceed, with opening statements scheduled to begin early next week.

Originally published on Music Times

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