Hip-hop icon Suge Knight collapses in court after $25m bail set

Founder and chief executive of Black Kapital Records, Marion 'Suge' Knight was taken to hospital moments after collapsing in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Friday (20 March). The incident occurred just after a judge set his bail at $25m (£16.7m) in a murder case.

Knight's attorney, Matthew Fletcher, said his client fell and hit his head on a chair after the bail hearing. The 49-year-old rap mogul – who is diabetic and has received treatment for a potentially deadly blood clot – had told Fletcher that he had not received any medication since Thursday (19 March).

"He was dripping sweat, like someone poured a bucket of water on him," Fletcher said. "He wiped the sweat off his head and said: 'I haven't had my medication.'"

The attorney said Knight was being kept in solitary confinement without proper access to medication and criticised the figure set by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Ronald S. Coen, calling it "absurd" and "clearly excessive".

"He's being treated worse than Charles Manson," Fletcher said.

But Deputy District Attorney, Cynthia J Barnes, claimed that a $25m bail was insufficient. She highlighted Knight's numerous run-ins with the law with almost 300 pages of written arguments and supporting evidence which implicate Knight in a host of crimes. These range from robberies and extortion to money laundering, witness intimidation and battery.

She highlighted Knight's numerous run-ins with the law with almost 300 pages of written arguments and supporting evidence which alleges Knight's involvement in a host of crimes, ranging from robberies and extortion to money laundering, witness intimidation and battery.

"When I wrote this, I was appalled… he basically is above the law," Barnes said.

The judge, however, approved the amount, calling it "reasonable".

The rap mogul is accused of murder in a hit-and-run incident after he allegedly mowed down two men – killing one – outside a burger stand in Compton, southern California on 29 January.

Knight has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges.

Knight, who also co-founded Death Row Records, has had an abundance of brushes with the law.

In 1996, he was jailed for the vicious beating of a rival of rapper, Tupac Shakur, whilst in 2002 Knight was imprisoned after violating his probation.