In 2017, rapper Mystikal was indicted on charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping. The southern artist pled not guilty on all counts and was released after posting a $3 million bond just last month, which he was reportedly able to do after inking a new recording deal for three unreleased albums.
TMZ now reports that the 48-year-old rapper, born Michael Tyler, and his attorney Joel Pearce are purusing the possibility of having the case dropped. Previously, Mystikal was presented with a plea deal, with prosecutors offering to change his rape charge to a third-degree rape charge. Pearce says that his client isn't willing to accept the deal because he does not want to plead guilty to a felony rape charge, maintaining his innocence.
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"Based on all of the evidence we have, we strongly believe that an amicable resolution is not only possible but probable as an outcome in this case and that Michael Tyler will never be made to return to jail for a crime he didn’t commit," said Pearce in a statement last month.
Mystikal alleges that the victim fabricated her account, an account which is scheduled to be brought to court when the trial begins in May. But, due to plea negotiations, the trial could face delays. The victim alleges that in 2016 Mystikal raped her in Shreveport, Louisiana