European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes wednesday february 12, 1992 the Tyson trial Tyson no stranger to hard knocks by de Schuyler or. A boxing writer Indianapolis a Mike Tyson s head jolted backward As though he had been hit with a stiff Jab. It was not a punch that caused the reaction monday night but a guilty verdict. The former heavyweight Champion at 25 one of the biggest boxing figures of All Lime was convicted of raping an 18-year-old miss Black America contestant july 19 in Indianapolis. Except for the Quick Jolt Tyson showed no emotion As the verdicts were read and left the courtroom without comment. Tyson lost the title to Buster Douglas on feb. 11, 1990 a nearly two years to the Day of his conviction. It seems his life has come full Circle. It was As a 13-year-old inmate at a new York state correctional facility for boys that Tyson took up boxing. An instructor there brought Tyson to boxing guru Cus do Amato who had guided Floyd Patterson to the heavyweight championship and Jose Torres to the Light heavyweight title. Tyson an orphan who grew up shy and Tough in the Gritty Bedford Stuyvesant and Brownsville sections of Brooklyn moved into the Catskill n.y., Home of do Amato and Camille Ewald. Do Amato became Tyson Slegal guardian in 1984, a year before he died. Tyson refers to Ewald now 81, As his Mother. She attended the trial holding Tyson a hand before the sessions began. Under the Tutelage of do Amato and the management of Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton Tyson burst upon the pro boxing scene in 1985. He won a piece of the title at age 20 in 1986, becoming the youngest heavyweight Champion Ever by knocking out Trevor Berbick in the second round. The next year he won the undisputed title. Jacobs died in 1988 and Tyson broke with Cayton moving into promoter Don Kings Camp. While Tyson a celebrity grew so did his notoriety. There was his violent eight month marriage to actress Robin Givens. When the tabloid headlines a Over her profligate spending his violent outburst a got to be too much the couple went on National television and America watched Tyson sit quietly by As Givens described him As a manic depressive who made her life in february 1990, Mike Tyson lies Flat on has Back after being downed by Buster Douglas in the Tokyo title bout. Miserable. About that time he ran into a tree with his sports car in the driveway of the House in Catskill and knocked himself unconscious. Once he had a fender Bender in new York City and gave his expensive car to two police officers. They took it but returned the car after being reprimanded. Tyson was 37-0 going into the fight against Douglas. Now 41-1, he had planned to Challenge evander holy Field in a bid to regain the heavyweight Crown. Nothing in boxing regulations would automatically Yson from fighting while free on Appeal or after Felting his sentence but boxing a governing bodies Quot boy a a a a a a a bar to comp and state boxing commissions could refuse to Sanction a match. And no promoter would undertake such a fight under those circumstances. Some promoters also might shy away because of bad publicity or fear of protests by women a and victims rights groups. Tyson still faces numerous lawsuits including several filed by women who claim he assaulted them. Credibility of accuser was the key jurors say Indianapolis up the jurors who convicted Mike Tyson of rape said they were More impressed by a total package of credibility than riveted by any particular piece of evidence. After 9 hours 25 minutes and three votes monday the nine men and three women found Tyson guilty of one count of rape and two counts of deviate sexual behaviour a carrying a combined maximum sentence of 60 years. A we did not come to a conclusion until the conclusion of our deliberations a said the Foreman a 37-Ycar-old ism marketing manager and former Marine. A generally speaking we Felt the state had made a stronger Case. An accumulation of that testimony that in the end made for a very Strong  the jury said it had to Block out the Case As a historic Crossroads for Date rape and instead focus on the 18-year-old Beauty pageant contestant and 25-year-old Boxer. Asked if this set a precedent in Date rape cases a male juror said �?o1 Hope it done to. Id like to see people take it individual. We took this Case As a Case. We did t worry about the  the most dramatic Day of the trial came thursday when the victims Mother testified and the prosecution rested. The jury however surprisingly played Down the testimony of the victims Mother who had such Impact on the general Public. �?o1 done to feel we gave it a lot of weight recognizing the relationship a the Foreman said. A the accusing witness made for a very Good Case and had very credible  actually a couple of members stressed that one of the earliest impressions was one of the most striking a the fact that the accuser brought her camera with her As though she expected to be at a party instead of a private encounter in Tyson a limousine and hotel suite. A she was going out to have a Good time a a Middle aged male juror said. A not that there a a lot to see in Indianapolis at 2 in the  he said that fact drove Home the impression of a woman expecting to see celebrities she believed would be at a party Tyson said they would be attending. The jurors also mentioned the credibility of the limousine Driver who took the victim Back from Tyson Scanterbury hotel suite july 19, and they supported prosecutor Greg garrisons belief that the medical testimony made major Impact. A we did consider the medical expert witness Quot the Foreman said. All of the jurors immediately answered a a relieved when asked How they Felt now that the Case was Over. A Black Man in his 20s appeared the most overwhelmed at the jurors televised news conference and in a subdued tone said Quot we did the Best Job we  the jurors said they were never divided along racial lines and a Black woman said the two Blacks were split on the first vote. The accuser and defendant Are Black. When the verdict was announced defense attorney Vincent Fuller asked each juror to repeat it. Only the 11th jurors voice cracked the rest were firm and decisive in their response of  verdict seen As message to athletes rape victims Indianapolis up prosecutors who helped convict Mike Tyson on rape charges monday night said they Hope the Case will Send a message to All professional athletes and Date rape victims. A i can to speak to boxing Quot special prosecutor Greg Garrison said after Tyson a conviction. A i will say on a broader scale professional athletics has been allowed to become such a Mega god that it no longer is responsive to the morality that is the Basic fabric of communities that Are represented by folks like the ones in this jury. A a superstar. Can brag about it in his books and talk about it in the Public Eye. This time that kind of behaviour has not been  when asked if Tyson convicted himself Garri it Hope it Hyson s conviction would encourage women to come Forward son said a criminals always convict  Garrison said Tyson s celebrated status was an obstacle for the prosecution but he stressed How important v n a t a a a l _ a i j Fly i very very special Young  Jeffrey Modisett the Marion county prosecutor who hired Garrison As the Lead projector in the Case said he Hopes Tyson a conviction will prompt other victims to press charges. A we Hope it would encourage women to come Forward a Modisett said. A your greatest Hope is that they see the process works  Modisett said he thought Tyson a victim a miss Black America contestant would hold a news conference to discuss the Case. However Deputy prosecutor Barbara Trathen said she did not expect the woman to file a civil lawsuit against Tyson. Garrison also came to the defense of Moira Lasch who prosecuted the Case m which William Kennedy Smith was found not guilty last december in West Palm Beach Fla. He said Lasch was criticized unfairly and did not get a conviction because the Case lacked Strong evidence. Modisett said one of the keys to the Case was that nobody corroborated Tiu a to Midi no door corroborated Illus cry Champ on s in we Ile the accuser s Story accuser was to the Case. Garrison said the jury was sold on a that Beautiful 18-year-old kid with a pure heart. She came in somber and quiet and pretty confident. It sounds a lot like so much hot air but this is a Etc in was backed by the woman who drove the boxers limousine. A the one person who could have corroborated or. Tyson theoretically was jigs bodyguard Dale Edwards j l. A and he never testified a Modisett said