LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Lawyers acting on behalf of Marion "Suge" Knight have filed a motion to appeal a 2005 ruling against the Death Row Records chief alleging that the plaintiff in the suit had perpetrated a fraud on the court.
According to the LA Times, the appeal seeks to a set aside a default ruling in which singer Lydia Harris was awarded $130 million dollars after contending that she had co-founded Death Row records together with Knight and that she had been cheated out of millions of dollars in profits.
While the case never actually reached trial, judge Ronald M. Sohigian ordered Knight to pay after his attorneys refused to conform to the court's expectations during discovery of evidence.
The appeal contends that Lydia Harris did not list Death Row Records as an asset in a 1998 bankruptcy, nor did she properly inform trustees of her bankruptcy estate of the lawsuit. Additional documents included in the appeal assert that her husband Michael Harris was also the principle party in Lydia Harris' lawsuit.
"I was the one making all major client decisions on behalf of the marital estate, even though Lydia was technically named the plaintiff in the matter," Michael Harris stated in a recent declaration. "Lydia simply accepted whatever decision [her lawyer] and I made jointly."
Michael Harris, who is now serving a 28-year stint in San Quentin behind convictions of crack cocaine sales and attempted murder, originally notified Death Row that he intended to file suit against them and distributor Interscope Records, claiming that he had been a significant founding investor in Death Row and had never been properly compensated. The case never went to trial, but Harris reportedly settled out of court for $300,000, releasing both firms from future claims.
Fast forward to 2002 when his wife, singer Lydia Harris filed suit stating that she was Knight's initial partner and that she was entitled to a significant portion of Death Row's proceeds and that her claims were separate and distinct from her husband's earlier claims.
These facts could prove to be very inconvenient for Lydia Harris if proven to be true, particularly in regards to any statements made to the contrary while under oath. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
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