US rapper Mystikal (55) has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a violation. A court in the US state of Louisiana announced the verdict on Tuesday against the musician, whose real name is Michael Tyler. This is reported by broadcaster WBRZ and the portal "Louisiana First News" in agreement. According to the reports, parole is excluded, and the pre-trial detention already served will be credited.
The 55-year-old had pleaded guilty in March of this year in a confession to third-degree assault. Originally, Tyler had been arrested on charges of first-degree assault according to both sources - an accusation that can carry a life sentence in Louisiana. Only through the agreement with the justice system was the penalty limited to a maximum of two decades.
The victim demanded the maximum sentence
At the sentencing, the woman addressed the judge directly and demanded the maximum sentence. According to WBRZ, she described how Tyler had beaten her, choked her, ripped out strands of her hair, and then assaulted her. According to the victim, the act has affected her mental and physical health to this day.
Tyler was then allowed to speak - but only to the court, not to the woman. In essence, he stated that he deserved the maximum sentence if he had committed the act. According to "Louisiana First News", he added an apology and the wish that the victim might heal.
Motion to withdraw the guilty plea
A few days before the sentencing, Tyler's attorney had requested to withdraw the guilty plea, according to WBRZ's account. Reason: His client had not had enough time to fully consider the consequences of his decision. The court denied the motion. After his release, Tyler must continue to register as an offender, according to the reports.
Not the first case
Tyler, who is from New Orleans, was arrested after investigators interviewed a victim who had been injured in an attack in Ascension Parish in 2022. This is not the first case of this kind: The rapper had already served time in prison for a similar offense in the past. According to CNN, he pleaded guilty to criminal coercion in 2003 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
