NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans-native rapper and sex offender Mystikal wants a judge to put a gag order on his rape and false imprisonment case because of an "inordinate amount of publicity."
His new defense attorney, Tiffany Myles Crosby, filed the request Thursday, according to our partners at NOLA.com. This comes after the rapper dropped his longtime defense attorneys who represented him in a separate rape charge in Caddo Parish. That case ended his favor, with prosecutors dismissing in December 2020.
In this case, NOLA.com reports a gag order would “mark a sharp reversal” from his previous defense attorneys’ approach. Attorneys, witnesses, and law enforcement would be prohibited from commenting on the case to anyone if the gag order goes into effect.
Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, is accused of raping a woman he has reportedly known for more than 20 years. Ascension Parish sheriff’s investigators said the woman went to his Prairieville home in July seeking financial help, in hopes of getting someone an apartment.
Tyler allegedly raped, strangled and threatened her with scissors at the home. An arrest warrant says he also forced her to pay him $150 through an app and had previously accused her of stealing. He allegedly hit her when she said she didn’t do it.
Tyler pleaded not guilty to first-degree rape, robbery, false imprisonment, and other charges. If he is convicted of rape, he could face a life sentence.
Tyler did not tell the court why he dropped his previous attorneys Joel Pearce and Timothy Yazbeck. However, NOLA.com reports Crosby has asked the judge to remove some motions they filed on Tyler’s behalf from the court record. Some of those motions requested mental health, drug and hospital records of his alleged victim and her cellphone data.
Court papers reveal Tyler and Crosby now believe the motions were filed "without his understanding" of them and are "immaterial, impertinent and scandalous.” Yet, his previous attorneys say Tyler “agreed every step of the way."
"In 31 years of doing this, I've never had a defendant file something as ridiculous as that," Pearce told NOLA.com.
The rapper was previously convicted of extortion and sexual assault against a different woman in 2003. He served six years in prison and is a lifetime registered sex offender.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.