Now that travel restrictions to Cuba are being loosened, maybe Suge Knight should try to get his murder case transferred to Guantanamo Bay — because according to his attorney, he might be better off than he currently is in the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.
Knight’s attorney, Matthew Fletcher, says that his client is being held in conditions that wouldn’t pass muster at the infamous detention facility, the New York Daily News reports.
Specifically, Fletcher said that visitor access to Knight has been restricted to an unacceptable level.
According to Fletcher, the former rap mogul, who’s been charged with murder and attempted murder stemming from a January car collision in Compton, California, is being detained “virtually incommunicado,” unable to use the phone or receive visits from his family.
Fletcher also says that a potential expert witness in the case has not been allowed to visit Knight, hampering his case.
“If experts can’t speak to him, they can’t do their job. We will never be able to present a defense,” Fletcher told the paper. “This truly should shock people.”
Fletcher added, “This is the most important time for him to have access to lawyers and experts. He’s supposed to be innocent until proven guilty … They wouldn’t allow this at Guantanamo Bay.”
This isn’t the first time that Fletcher has complained of his client’s treatment in jail. Knight has twice been rushed to the hospital on dates when he’s been scheduled for court appearances, and in late March, when Knight’s bail was set at $25 million, the Death Row Records co-founder collapsed in court. At the time, Fletcher said that Knight, who reportedly suffers from diabetes, glaucoma and a blood clot near one of his lungs, has been denied access to hot water and a blanket.
However, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department denied those claims, saying that Knight is “receiving the appropriate treatment,” including multiple blankets, hot water and access to new linens, showers and medications.
Police say Knight intentionally ran over two men with his truck after an argument on the set of a commercial for the film “Straight Outta Compton.” Terry Carter, 55, was killed and Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, was injured. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.