Marion 'Suge' Knight's effort to overturn his 28-year manslaughter sentence has been denied by a Los Angeles County judge. The ruling, issued on March 5, 2025, followed Knight's claim that his sentencing was illegal and that he had been unable to properly pursue an appeal due to a number of different circumstances.

In her decision, Judge Laura F. Priver characterized Knight's habeas corpus petition as both late and lacking sincerity. She pointed out that Knight had an adequate opportunity to file the petition sooner and she also didn't seem to believe Knight's claims that he was hindered by his living conditions in prison and previous lawyers.

Judge Priver noted:

“The petitioner was not as isolated or as helpless to act as he wishes this court to believe.”

Knight’s attorney, David Kenner, strongly disagreed with the court's ruling, while labeling it shocking and unconscionable. He has said he plans to file a writ of mandate in an appellate court to seek an additional hearing regarding the case's underlying facts. He argues that Knight had been deprived of his constitutional rights, including the right to represent himself.

Knight is currently serving out his sentence in a San Diego facility after pleading no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge. The 2015 incident happened in Compton, California, where he was accused of killing Terry Carter with his vehicle. Prosecutors at first pursued a murder charge but then shifted to a plea deal, which Knight has since said was coerced.

The judge did address Knight's request to represent himself, saying that his requests were either abandoned or made under "complex circumstances". Furthermore, the judge noted Knight had reportedly been granted significant access to visitors while in custody.

Prosecutors, in opposition to Knight’s claims, mentioned the leniency he received on his plea deal, which resolved multiple charges that could have resulted in a substantially longer sentence if convicted, dropped for the plea. The legal proceedings continue though, with a civil suit related to the case set to go to retrial next month.