Lawyers for the family of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. have responded to a Los Angeles judge who said last week she was deceived into declaring a mistrial in the family’s wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
According to papers filed in court and acquired by the Los Angeles Times, the family attorneys defended their claim that the city withheld a key piece of evidence – a report that suggested rogue cops may have had a hand in the rapper’s killing – during the high-profile trial, despite the city introducing proof to the contrary last week.
According to the Times, lawyers for B.I.G.’s family said the city "gave a really incomplete view of what happened" when accusing them of misleading the court, and claimed the city was engaging in a "desperate attempt to prevent additional discovery" about further officer misconduct.
"I would hope the judge looks at [the filing] and realizes we did nothing whatsoever to misrepresent anything," Perry R. Sanders Jr., one of the family lawyers, told the paper.
In declaring the mistrial earlier this year, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ordered the city to pay $1.1 million to the late rapper’s family after, midway through the proceedings, a police report surfaced detailing allegations made by a jailhouse informant that rogue ex-LAPD officers Rafael Perez and David A. Mack were linked to B.I.G.’s killing. At the time, Sanders claimed he was never apprised of the report, or given details of the informant's claims, and therefore could not properly prepare for the proceedings. The judge, in turn, declared a mistrial.
Last week, however, lawyers for the city proved in court that the family's attorneys knew of the informants' story since at least November 2002. In response, Cooper went off on Sanders and his team.
"I'm just absolutely outraged, because I feel this court has been totally deceived," she said during proceedings last week. "I believe you absolutely deceived this court into believing that you knew nothing about this. What I don't understand is, how could you have received this report...and then carried on before this court as if a bombshell had just been dropped in your lap."
The judge gave Sanders one week to address the claims. The city now has seven days to respond.
Cooper said that once explanations are heard from both sides, she will "make a determination as to what, if anything, needs to be done."
According to papers filed in court and acquired by the Los Angeles Times, the family attorneys defended their claim that the city withheld a key piece of evidence – a report that suggested rogue cops may have had a hand in the rapper’s killing – during the high-profile trial, despite the city introducing proof to the contrary last week.
According to the Times, lawyers for B.I.G.’s family said the city "gave a really incomplete view of what happened" when accusing them of misleading the court, and claimed the city was engaging in a "desperate attempt to prevent additional discovery" about further officer misconduct.
"I would hope the judge looks at [the filing] and realizes we did nothing whatsoever to misrepresent anything," Perry R. Sanders Jr., one of the family lawyers, told the paper.
In declaring the mistrial earlier this year, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ordered the city to pay $1.1 million to the late rapper’s family after, midway through the proceedings, a police report surfaced detailing allegations made by a jailhouse informant that rogue ex-LAPD officers Rafael Perez and David A. Mack were linked to B.I.G.’s killing. At the time, Sanders claimed he was never apprised of the report, or given details of the informant's claims, and therefore could not properly prepare for the proceedings. The judge, in turn, declared a mistrial.
Last week, however, lawyers for the city proved in court that the family's attorneys knew of the informants' story since at least November 2002. In response, Cooper went off on Sanders and his team.
"I'm just absolutely outraged, because I feel this court has been totally deceived," she said during proceedings last week. "I believe you absolutely deceived this court into believing that you knew nothing about this. What I don't understand is, how could you have received this report...and then carried on before this court as if a bombshell had just been dropped in your lap."
The judge gave Sanders one week to address the claims. The city now has seven days to respond.
Cooper said that once explanations are heard from both sides, she will "make a determination as to what, if anything, needs to be done."
