Tyson Seeks Freedom Again Today at Court Hearing

Mike Tyson pleads again for his freedom today when he appears before a judge to ask that his six-year sentence for rape be shortened.

The former heavyweight boxing champion already has served 26 months of a six-year prison term imposed after a Marion County jury convicted him of raping a teen-age beauty pageant contestant in his hotel room.

With time off for good behavior, Tyson is scheduled for release from the Indiana Youth Center in May 1995.

Marion Superior Court Judge Patricia J. Gifford said she expects the morning hearing to last a half-day. She said she will probably rule quickly on Tyson’s request.

Sports Illustrated reported that Tyson’s attorneys had cut a deal for his early release that included a cash settlement with Desiree Washington, who filed the rape complaint.

The Marion County prosecutor’s office and Tyson attorney Alan Dershowitz issued qualified denials. Washington’s attorney firmly denied any deal had been reached or was in the works.

The four-page request for a sentence reduction hearing asks for Tyson’s immediate release, citing his rehabilitation.