News: Family Of Notorious B.I.G. Asks To Expand Lawsuit Against Los Angeles
The family of the late Notorious B.I.G. asked a judge on Tuesday (July 11) for permission to expand their wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, noting that former Rampart Division police Officer Rafael Perez was on duty at Petersen Automotive Museum the night of the rapper's slaying.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the request was part of a 94-page motion citing a list of incidents, which the family believes show a pattern linking police to crimes involving rappers such as Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur.
Attorneys for the Wallace family allege that Vincent Marella, an attorney defending the city, admitted in a court hearing July 5 that Perez was in uniform and involved in the rapper's shooting, the Associated Press reports. But, transcripts from the hearing show that Marella was only repeating an informant's allegations.
Perez is not named as a defendant in the new suit, nor is other alleged individuals said to be involved, including convicted bank robber David A. Mack, Death Row Records owner Marion "Suge" Knight or the alleged triggerman, Amir Muhammad.
All four individuals have maintained their innocence, regarding Notorious B.I.G.'s killing. The city of Los Angeles remains the only defendant.
Notorious B.I.G. (real name: Christopher Wallace) was gunned down on March 9, 1997, shortly after leaving a music industry party at the museum on Wilshire Boulevard. His murder remains unsolved.
Last summer, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper declared a mistrial after only four days of testimony. The judge said an LAPD detective intentionally withheld statements from an informant that may have linked two police officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to B.I.G.'s murder.
Cooper ordered the city to pay the family's attorney fees and costs as sanctions for withholding evidence.
A new trial was set to begin in October, but Judge Cooper recently postponed the retrial until January of 2007.
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