A trial in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the man Suge Knight killed back in 2015 has reportedly ended in a mistrial.
On Wednesday (June 22), Compton Superior Court Judge Thomas Long declared a mistrial in the case after the jurors could not reach the nine votes needed to come to a verdict, according to local San Diego, Calif. news outlet ABC News10. The jurors had reportedly been deadlocked 7-5 in favor of the plaintiffs since last week, with the judge urging them to keep working toward a final decision this week. Their inability to come to a conclusion led to the judge making the final decision of a mistrial.
The case stems from a lawsuit over whether or not to hold Suge Knight civilly liable for the death of Terry Carter. Suge Knight was convicted of killing Carter in 2018. The case has been in litigation for over seven years.
Rolling Stone spoke to the jury foreman of the trial, who asked to stay anonymous, but also revealed that there was significant division amongst the jurors. “It was intense. It was so intense, someone walked by the jury room and thought a real fight had broken out. There was yelling.”
According to Knight's lawyer, David Kenner, Suge was "relieved" at the outcome. "He finally got to tell his side of the story, and he’s appreciative that the facts were sufficient," according to 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.”
Suge Knight, who is currently imprisoned at San Diego County’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, testified at the trial virtually. The lawsuit was initially brought forth by Carter's widow and two daughters in June of 2015, five months after Carter was killed. As a result of the mistrial, the case could be dismissed, a settlement could be reached or another trial could be set.
XXL has reached out to Suge Knight's lawyer for comment.
In September of 2018, Suge Knight pleaded no contest to killing Carter by running him over with his truck on the set of Straight Outta Compton back in January of 2015. Knight admitted to running over Carter, but said he did so after fearing for his life following a confrontation on the movie set, which was located in the parking lot of Tam's Burgers in the 1200 block of West Rosecrans Avenue. Knight also struck Cle "Bone" Sloan as he fled the scene. Sloan survived his injuries. Following Suge Knight's plea, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison the same month.