MYSTIKAL - MYSTIKAL'S SEX CASE SENTENCING DELAYED

A scheduled sentencing for rapper MYSTIKAL, who pleaded guilty to sexual battery, has been postponed at the request of his lawyers.

On Thursday (04DEC03), lawyers defending Mystikal, real name MICHAEL TYLER, claimed the judge shouldn't be allowed to preside over the sentencing scheduled for that day because he saw an "inflammatory version of the tape" which shows the rapper and his bodyguards assaulting his former hairstylist.

DAVID BOURLAND, the attorney representing Mystikal, filed the motion to put off the sentencing until 15 January (04). Bourland explained that the presence of the tape changes the circumstances of Tyler's admission of guilt.

He says, "My client would not have entered a plea if he knew the tape was going to be shown, because it's inflammatory. The tape doesn't reflect the entirety of the events."

The judge refused to step down, however, citing the request made by Bourland as unsupported. Bourland stated he, along with lawyers for the bodyguards, would argue to throw out the guilty pleas.

Mystikal was arrested in July of last year (02), along with his bodyguards, and charged with aggravated rape and extortion after his hairstylist accused the men of sexually assaulting her.

The charges were handed down after the 40-year old woman claimed the DANGER rapper and his cohorts threatened to have her arrested for cashing in unauthorised cheques from the star's bank account. According to published reports, the men forced the woman to perform oral sex on them instead of reporting her to police.