March 20--Calling Marion 'Suge' Knight a "prolific and unrepentant criminal" who has led a "shameless life of crime," Los Angeles prosecutors asked a judge to set the former rap mogul's bail at $25 million, according to court papers filed Thursday.
Knight is scheduled to appear in Judge Ronald S. Coen's downtown courtroom on Friday for a bail review hearing, when prosecutors will argue for the multimillion dollar bond, Deputy Dist. Atty. Cynthia J. Barnes told The Times.
Knight, 49, is charged with murder, attempted murder and two counts of hit-and-run with an allegation that the Death Row Records co-founder committed a violent felony while out on bail pending another case.
Prosecutors cannot request that Knight be held without bail because no special circumstance allegations have been filed against him.
Setting such a high bail would "protect the public from defendant Knight," prosecutors said.
"Knight's extensive history of violence, both in this case and over the last 30 years, clearly demonstrates that he is physically incapable of stopping his violent criminal behavior," prosecutors said.
The lengthy motion goes on to list Knight's criminal record, stretching back to 1987 when he was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of attempted murder. In 1995, he was convicted of two counts of assault with a firearm.
Knight's bail was revoked Feb. 2 after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials argued that he was a possible flight risk and had "witness intimidation issues." They also cited his criminal past.
Knight is accused of deliberately running over Terry Carter, 55, and Cle "Bone" Sloan, 51, in a restaurant parking lot following an argument on the set of a commercial for the N.W.A biopic "Straight Outta Compton."
Authorities have said Sloan and Knight were fighting but that Carter was not involved. Carter was killed and Sloan was injured.
Investigators said that after striking the men, Knight, who was in his Ford F-150 truck, drove away. He was arrested the next morning.
Prosecutors highlighted that at the time of Carter's Jan. 29 death, Knight was out on bail in the case of an alleged robbery. He and Micah "Katt" Williams are accused of stealing a Beverly Hills photographer's camera in the Sept. 5 incident.
"Not only did he disregard the constraints of bail, he escalated his criminal behavior to murder and attempted murder," prosecutors said.
Knight's attorney, Matthew P. Fletcher, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
