Louisiana rapper Mystikal, real name Michael Lawrence Tyler, is asking the court to let him withdraw the guilty plea he entered back in March 2026. According to court filings, he says he didn’t have enough time to really think through what he was agreeing to and was under a lot of emotional pressure when he took the deal.
He’s 55, rose to fame with tracks such as “Shake Ya Ass” in the early 2000s, might face two decades behind bars should the plea hold. By June 2026, nothing decided the court’s still silent on whether he can take back that plea.
On July 30, 2022, officers took Mystikal into custody at his house in Prairieville, located in Ascension Parish. Following a visit from someone who knew him, meant to discuss financial disagreements, things turned violent. Instead of talking it out, he reportedly snapped accusing her of theft before striking, gripping her throat, pinning her down, and assaulting her sexually. Afterward, she made her way to a medical center in Baton Rouge, where staff noted clear signs of harm. Medical personnel also gathered evidence using a sexual assault examination package.
A man faced serious accusations right away rape of the highest level, being held against his will, choking during a fight at home, stealing something small, breaking property, along with drugs. In Louisiana, that kind of rape charge often leads to never getting out of jail. He said he did not do it when court started in fall 2022. Since then, he remained behind bars, no chance to leave on payment, close to three full years passing.
On March 17, 2026, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges as part of a deal. Mystikal admitted to third-degree rape, facing up to two decades behind bars. With a report on his background now required, court officials moved nearer to deciding his fate.
Midway through June 2026, his legal team submitted a request to withdraw the guilty plea. Because of pressure during the process, he now says he wasn’t clear on what would follow. While signing it, confusion clouded his judgment, they claim. The decision unfolded too quickly for comfort, according to their statement.
Back then, Mystikal already faced legal trouble. During the middle of the 2000s, he admitted to charges involving sexual assault and threats, spent close to six years locked up, yet still needed to sign the sex offender list afterward. Another accusation from 2017 this one tied to abduction and rape in a different area – later vanished without prosecution.
If the judge lets him withdraw the plea, the case could head back toward trial on the original or revised charges which would put him at risk of much harsher penalties, including possible life in prison. Louisiana courts usually allow plea withdrawals before sentencing if the defendant can show the plea wasn’t knowing and voluntary.
If the motion is denied, sentencing will go ahead with the 20-year cap. Prosecutors haven’t publicly responded yet, and it’s unclear where the alleged victim stands on all this.
The Ascension Parish court will make the final call. Legal folks say these motions are tough to win the defense has to prove something was seriously wrong with how the plea was handled. Either way, this could have big consequences for Mystikal’s future and for how the whole case plays out.
