Tyson’s Supreme Court Appeal is Denied

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson failed Monday to persuade the Supreme Court to review the rape conviction for which he served three years in prison and now is on four years’ probation.

Without comment, the court rejected arguments that Tyson was denied a fair trial when convicted in 1992 of raping Desiree Washington, a beauty pageant contestant, in Indianapolis in 1991. Tyson contends the two engaged in consensual sex.

The appeal listed two items: that Indiana law wrongly allowed prosecutors to select the judge and that three key witnesses wrongly were barred from testifying for the defense because they had come forward too late.

Baseball

Dodger pitcher Darren Dreifort threw off a mound for the first time since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last March 14. Dreifort is expected to be ready for spring training and could compete for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

The San Francisco Giants signed free agent shortstop Shawon Dunston, who has spent his 11-year career with the Chicago Cubs. Terms were not disclosed.

Tennis

Todd Martin defeated Martin Sinner of Germany, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening round of the Peters International in Sydney, Australia.

In a first-round women’s match, Chanda Rubin defeated Lori McNeil, 6-2, 6-2.

Richard Fromberg of Australia beat third-seeded Arnaud Boetsch of France, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

MaliVai Washington reached the second round of the BellSouth Open in Auckland, New Zealand, defeating Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark, 6-3, 6-3.

Judith Wiesner of Austria beat Lindsay Lee of Dunwoody, Ga., 6-2, 6-3, in the opening round of the Tasmanian International in Hobart, Australia.

Jurisprudence

The prosecution in the trial of the men accused of murdering Michael Jordan’s father had a rocky day when they presented the wrong bullet as evidence while questioning the pathologist who performed an autopsy on James Jordan.

Judge Gregory Weeks said district attorney Johnson Britt can explain the mix-up to jurors in Lumberton, N.C., but will have to call witnesses to do so.

Steffi Graf’s jailed father has refused to testify before a panel investigating allegations that officials knew taxes weren’t being paid on some of his daughter’s earnings.

Former Kentucky and New York Knick basketball star Kenny Walker pleaded guilty to menacing his wife and was ordered to undergo counseling in Lexington, Ky.

Miscellany

Eric Wynalda, who has played only a few games for VfL Bochum in Germany this season, agreed to a contract with Major League Soccer. . . . Forward George Weah was voted 1995’s FIFA world player of the year, beating AC Milan teammate Paolo Maldini and German forward Jurgen Klinsmann. . . . Matt McKeon of Saint Louis and Shannon MacMillan of Portland were selected men’s and women’s college soccer players of the year by the Missouri Athletic Club Sports Foundation.

Louisiana Tech remained the unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press women’s college basketball poll. . . . Sacramento State was invited to join the Big West in baseball and softball as an associate member beginning in 1997, the league announced. Also, Cal State Northridge was invited to become a member of the league in softball beginning in 1997.

Shirley Franken, who served as den mother to generations of athletes who competed in her husband’s track meets, died Sunday of ovarian cancer. She was 67.

She was married to promoter Al Franken for 43 years. Her cancer was diagnosed in June of 1993. She is survived by Al, son Donald, and daughter Jill.

Services are at 2 p.m. today at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Norris Cancer Center at USC--County Medical Center.

The Eddie Robinson awards dinner, honoring TV personality Ahmad Rashad, will be held Thursday at the Palace in Hollywood.