PHOENIX (AP) — Mike Tyson reported to jail Tuesday, an open-air facility where he'll serve a one-day sentence for a DUI conviction.
The former heavyweight champion will be held in a secluded part of Tent City, apart from the 1,500 other inmates.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he considers Tyson to be a high-risk prisoner and that
each one of his fist is a lethal weapon.
Besides the day in jail, Tyson was sentenced to three years' probation. He also must perform 360 hours of community service and undergo drug testing.
Tyson faced a maximum sentence of four years and three months in prison. Prosecutors recommended a one-year sentence, but the judge said the boxer has tried to atone for his crimes.
During a sentencing hearing Monday, Judge Helene Abrams said she was impressed with the boxer's attempts to complete his GED and how he voluntarily sought treatment for drug addiction.
Boxing great Mike Tyson issued the following statement today: "I just want to say how happy I am today that the judge has granted me freedom stemming from an arrest one year ago. I am thankful to everyone who has helped me through a very difficult time. To my family, friends and fans around the world who have sent letters and provided support, I thank you. To my lawyers and to all the people who have helped me stay clean and sober for the past 10 months, thank you. I will be taking one day at a time; staying sober is my job. There are many people who are fighting for their lives from drug and alcohol addiction. I will use my time and energy to help those in need. Now I look forward to spending time with my children."
Mike Tyson first rose to fame when he was named the youngest ever World Boxing Council heavyweight boxing champion in 1986 at age 20, and went on to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion the next year, a title he held until 1990.
Media Contacts: For further information on this announcement please contact Harlan Werner or Damon Bingham of Sports Placement Service, Inc. (www.sportsplacement.com) at 323-938-6444.
Posted by tysonian on Monday, November 19, 2007 @ 15:24:35 CST (298 reads) ( | Mike Tyson News | Score: 0)
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was sentenced to three years probation this morning for felony drug possession and driving under the influence.
Tyson won praise from Maricopa County Superior Court judge Helene Abrams for his enrolment in a rehabilitation program.
"Mr Tyson I am very impressed with the letters that have been provided to me from the groups you have spoken to, members of AA,...they all state that you demonstrated true commitment to recovery. For that reason and the others probation is warranted. I am also pleased to see you working towards your GED. This is a very important milestone for you to achieve. But I am most impressed with the fact that you got help almost immediately after your arrest," Abrams told the boxer.
Tyson spoke in a barely audible whisper during the proceedings, telling officials: "I would like to apologize for my actions."
Tyson was arrested Dec. 29 in Scottsdale by a Buckeye officer working a holiday drunken-driving enforcement special operation. Tyson was driving erratically on Scottsdale Road near Drinkwater Boulevard. At the time he acknowledged a serious substance abuse problem.
Tyson attorneys had argued for probation because he had admitted his mistakes and was trying to battle his addictions. Since his arrest, Tyson had undergone treatment at a California rehabilitation center and worked with children preaching a message of staying sober and keeping off drugs. His attorney said in court he had passed 29 straight drug tests.
"If you do good deeds and you help other people recover, alternatives to imprisonment are the better route," attorney David Chesnoff said outside the courthouse. Tyson left the court without speaking to reporters. He will report to jail on Tuesday
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Helene Abrams handed down the sentence which includes one day of jail time that Tyson will serve tomorrow. He also is prohibited from drinking for the next three years and is to pay a $3,600 fine.
Video of the full judge sentence:
Posted by tysonian on Monday, November 19, 2007 @ 08:38:18 CST (1435 reads) ( | Mike Tyson News | Score: 2)
Fan Talk: The Mike Tyson Chronicles: Donovan Razor Ruddock I & II - updated
Source: RingSideReport.com By Geno McGahee
Part 1: October 11, 2007 - Part 2: October 19, 2007
On March 18th, 1991, the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, would present a bout between two of the top heavyweights in the world. The returning Mike Tyson against the battle-tested and ambitious power-puncher, Donovan “Razor” Ruddock. There was some talk about this bout being turned into a WBC Heavyweight Title fight due to the fact that current Champion, Evander Holyfield jumped at the chance at fighting George Foreman for a fortune instead of giving Iron Mike an automatic title shot after his win over Buster Douglas, the man that had given “Kid Dynamite” his only defeat. Tyson – Ruddock would not be a title fight when the dust settled, but you could have never known by the build up and the electricity in the audience.
I think that an important date that should be mentioned is April 4th, 1990. Michael Dokes, the former WBA Heavyweight Champion faced off against Razor Ruddock in a televised card. At this point, there was Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and everyone else. Even Holyfield lived in the shadow of Iron Mike, but was at least a notable contender for the indestructible champion to eventually knock out. Ruddock – Dokes would put the Razor on the map and leave Dokes’ life in question.
The left uppercut/hook or the “shovel punch” or “smash” as Team Ruddock called it, was the most devastating punch in boxing. It sent Bonecrusher Smith into dreamland but it also nearly sent Dokes to the grave. Trapped in the corner, Ruddock would land several shovel punches before the referee could jump in. Dokes crumpled into a heap and was unconscious. He was actually out for fifteen minutes. The heavyweight division had a new force of nature and when Mike Tyson was knocked out by Buster Douglas to lose his title, he lost his aura of invincibility, making Ruddock a live dog going into this fight. If Tyson could be knocked out by James “Buster” Douglas’ uppercut, how could he handle the “smash?” We were about to find out.
An interesting side note is that Mike Tyson was scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Razor Ruddock prior to his loss to Buster Douglas, but an ailment would force him to pull out.
Mike Tyson walks out of Judge Helene Abrams
courtroom at the Maricopa County Superior Court
complex in Mesa, Ariz., Monday, Sept. 24, 2007
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson pleaded guilty Monday to charges of drug possession and driving under the influence stemming from a traffic stop last year as he was leaving a nightclub.
Tyson quietly acknowledged to a judge that he had cocaine and was impaired when he was stopped for driving erratically in Scottsdale on Dec. 29.
He pleaded guilty to a single felony count of drug possession and a misdemeanor DUI count and faces up to four years and three months in prison (6 months for the DUI and 45 months for the drug charge) when he is sentenced Nov. 19. A felony charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and a second misdemeanor DUI charge were dropped, according to the terms of a plea agreement.
Defense lawyer David Chesnoff said Tyson has been clean and sober for eight months.
"He took the bull by the horns and has managed to deal with his addictions and stay sober for an extended period of time".
Mike Tyson's defense attorney, David Chesnoff, told reporters: "Hopefully, we'll be able to keep him out of prison and get probation." Chesnoff, who has represented tennis player Andre Agassi and Martha Stewart among others, also stated of his client, "Mike has been clean and sober for eight months. He's been doing community service work without a court order and has been talking to community groups about his own drug problems. It‘s obvious this was a crime he was committing against himself."
"He's not in denial. He's acknowledged that what he did was wrong," he added.
Chesnoff said. “If there had been more people interested in his well-being and health along the way, we wouldn’t be here now.”
On March 18th, 1991, the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, would present a bout between two of the top heavyweights in the world. The returning Mike Tyson against the battle-tested and ambitious power-puncher, Donovan “Razor” Ruddock. There was some talk about this bout being turned into a WBC Heavyweight Title fight due to the fact that current Champion, Evander Holyfield jumped at the chance at fighting George Foreman for a fortune instead of giving Iron Mike an automatic title shot after his win over Buster Douglas, the man that had given “Kid Dynamite” his only defeat. Tyson – Ruddock would not be a title fight when the dust settled, but you could have never known by the build up and the electricity in the audience. 
