Knight has yet to pay $107 million to Lydia Harris, a former partner who claims she helped launch the Death Row imprint with her ex husband, Michael "Harry-O" Harris. Knight was ordered to pay the sum in March of last year. Laurence Strick, Knight’s attorney, said the mogul was trying to reorganize his finances. "Mr. Knight doesn’t have $107 million," Strick told the Associated Press. "It remains to be seen what becomes of Death Row."
Prior to filing for bankruptcy, Knight had been skipping court hearings regarding his assets. Knight faced the possibility of having his assets seized by the courts. Meanwhile, Rex Beaber, Harris’ lawyer, accused Knight of moving his assets. Judge Ronald Sohegian refused a request from Knight’s other attorney, Dermot Givens, to postpone the hearing because the mogul was hiring a new legal team. Judge Sohegian also prohibited Knight from moving or hiding his assets. In Knight’s absence, Givens guaranteed that his client would appear at the April 1 hearing and swore that he would not hide any assets.
Despite Givens’ promise, Knight skipped the court hearing, prompting the judge to threaten that Death Row could be placed into receivership. Another hearing was scheduled yesterday (March 4) with a request for Judge Sohegian to find Knight in criminal contempt for skipping at least four court hearings. Knight wasn’t present at the hearing. "[The demand] seeks to return Mr. Knight to jail," Beaber told reporters outside the court. "This is necessary not to benefit Lydia Harris but to confirm that every citizen, no matter how powerful, must obey the lawful orders of the court." Strick said the federal bankruptcy protection would replace the receivership. On the other hand, Beaber said he wasn’t surprised by Knight’s move. "Bankruptcy is by its nature the last and final stop in these games of delay," Beaber told the AP.
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