Mystikal sentenced to 20 years in prison for third-degree rape
Mystikal's attorney tried to withdraw his guilty plea just days before sentencing
Louisiana rapper Mystikal has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for third-degree rape, bringing a lengthy legal process to a close on Tuesday, 16 June, more than two years after his arrest in August 2022.
The 55-year-old musician, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, entered a guilty plea in March after his original charge was downgraded from first-degree rape. WBRZ and Louisiana First News reported the sentencing, which took place in Ascension Parish.
During the proceedings, the victim addressed the court and asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence as she recounted details of the assault. Tyler responded directly: "If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence."
Last-minute bid to withdraw guilty plea
Days before the sentencing, Tyler's attorney filed a motion on Friday, 12 June, seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, as reported by WBRZ. The motion argued that Tyler "did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences" of the plea deal before agreeing to it.
It further claimed he was "under significant emotional distress and felt substantial pressure to make an immediate decision" at the time of the plea.
Nine charges dropped by prosecutors
As part of the legal process, prosecutors chose not to pursue nine additional charges against Tyler by filing notices of nolle prosequi. Those charges included simple criminal damage, false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, and simple robbery.
Details of the 2022 incident
The case stemmed from an incident at Tyler's Prairieville home in August 2022. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed in a press release that a victim was hospitalised with minor injuries sustained during a sexual assault allegedly involving Tyler.
The alleged victim, an acquaintance of Tyler, was at his home when he accused her of stealing money from him, according to WBRZ citing an arrest warrant. Tyler allegedly punched her, choked her, pulled braids from her hair, and took her keys and phone to stop her from leaving. He was subsequently arrested and booked into Ascension Parish Jail on charges of first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and simple criminal damage to property.
Investigators were also told by the victim that she discovered drugs at the residence during the altercation, and that Tyler had been experiencing mood swings before the rape took place. He allegedly used her phone to transfer the money he had accused her of stealing before eventually allowing her to leave.
A long history of legal troubles
At the time of his 2022 arrest, Tyler was already a lifetime registered sex offender, a status stemming from a 2003 sexual assault conviction for which he served six years in federal prison. Following his release in 2010, he faced further legal trouble in 2017 when he was indicted on separate rape and kidnapping charges. He spent 18 months in jail before being released on a $3 million bond, according to the Associated Press.
