'Suge' Knight to Be Freed From Jail

The California Board of Prison Terms ruled Tuesday that Knight violated his parole on only one count, by affiliating with a gang member, and gave him credit for 61 days already served. He will also be required to complete 200 hours of community service.

Knight could have received a year in prison.

"After reviewing all of the facts, we made the decision we believe needed to be made," said Bill Sessa, a spokesman for the California Board of Prison Terms.

The decision followed a closed seven-hour hearing at the Los Angeles County Jail in which a panel of three deputy commissioners reviewed evidence and testimony from 10 witnesses. In the end, the panel sided with arguments presented by Knight's attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff and Rose Kogeman.

"Suge is thrilled," Chesnoff said. "We appreciate the amount of due process that was afforded Mr. Knight. His release lends credibility to the parole system."

Initially, the prison board refused to allow Knight's attorneys to attend the hearing, saying that as a parolee, Knight had no right to representation. But the board eventually reversed itself and allowed the attorneys to make their argument.

Knight was taken into custody two days before Christmas during a routine visit to his parole office. Authorities picked him up a few weeks after sheriff's deputies raided his homes and businesses, collecting evidence of alleged parole violations.

Sheriff's detectives said Knight had violated his parole by associating with gang members, residing at an address unknown to his parole officer, and had hired a driver who carried an unauthorized weapon. Authorities said they had confiscated photographs of Knight posing with known criminals and making gang hand signals at several parties.

Under the conditions of his parole, Knight is not allowed to associate with gang members.

The parole stemmed from two earlier incidents. In 1992, Knight was convicted of assault and federal weapons violations and was placed on probation. In 1996, he was jailed for five years for violating probation after he and several associates, including rap star Tupac Shakur, were recorded on videotape beating a gang rival in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel. Three hours later Shakur was fatally shot on the Las Vegas Strip. Knight was wounded.