Rape conviction, prison, and conversion

Tyson was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, Miss
Black Rhode Island, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson's rape trial took place in the
Marion County superior court from January 26, 1992 to February 10, 1992.[69]

Partial corroboration of Washington's story came via testimony from Tyson's

chauffeur, Virginia Foster, who confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock after
the incident. Further testimony came from Thomas Richardson, the emergency room
physician who examined Washington more than 24 hours after the incident and
confirmed that Washington's physical condition was consistent with rape.[70]

Under lead defense lawyer Vincent J. Fuller's direct examination, Tyson claimed that
everything had taken place with Washington's full cooperation and he claimed not to
have forced himself upon her. When he was cross-examined by lead prosecutor
Gregory Garrison, Tyson denied claims that he had misled Washington and insisted
that she wanted to have sex with him. Because of Tyson's hostile and defensive
responses to the questions during cross-examination, some have speculated that his
behavior made him unlikable to the jury who saw him as brutish and arrogant.[71]
Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992 after the jury
deliberated for nearly 10 hours.[72]

Alan Dershowitz, acting as Tyson's counsel, filed an appeal urging error of law in the
Court's exclusion of evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct, the exclusion of
three potential defense witnesses, and the lack of a jury instruction on honest and
reasonable mistake of fact.[73] The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled against Tyson in a
21 vote.[73]

On March 26, 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison followed by four
years on probation.[74] Despite being 25 years old at the time of the crime, he was
assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in
April 1992,[75] and he was released in March 1995 after serving less than three years
of his six-year sentence.[76] Hakeem Olajuwon claims that during his incarceration,
Tyson converted to Islam.[77]

Due to his conviction, Tyson is required to register as a tier II sex offender under
federal law.[78][79][80][81][82] As of May, 2016, he is so registered, as Michael
Tyson, in Henderson, Nevada.[citation needed]