Mystikal’s rape trial details stay secret due to a court gag order requested by his defense team ahead of his March trial.
Mystikal faces his biggest legal battle yet, with limited public information available as the New Orleans rapper’s upcoming rape trial stays shrouded in secrecy thanks to a gag order.
The rap star appeared in Ascension Parish court on January 21. His defense team requested a gag order that now covers both the prosecution and the defense attorneys. The judge approved the request.
A gag order prevents lawyers, witnesses and court officials from discussing case details with the media or the public. This legal tool keeps sensitive information from influencing potential jurors before trial.
The 51-year-old rapper has been sitting in Ascension Parish Jail without bond since his July 2022 arrest on first-degree rape charges.
Mystikal’s current charges include domestic abuse by strangulation, simple robbery, false imprisonment and multiple drug possession counts. The alleged incident happened at his Prairieville home on July 30, 2022.
The victim claimed she was attacked during a dispute over money. She claimed Mystikal was high out of his mind when he punched, choked and pulled out her hair before forcing her to pray with him to “remove bad spirits,” eventually raping her.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney, Tiffany Myles Crosby, took over the case and requested delays to review evidence.
This marks Tyler’s third major legal battle involving sexual assault allegations. He served six years in prison from 2004 to 2010 after pleading guilty to sexual battery.
The earlier case involved a hairstylist who accused Tyler and two bodyguards of forcing her to perform oral sex. She claimed they threatened to report her for allegedly stealing $80,000 worth of checks.
Tyler became a registered sex offender after his release in 2010. He returned to jail briefly in 2012 for violating probation on a domestic abuse charge.
Another rape case emerged in 2018 when Tyler faced first-degree rape and kidnapping charges. He spent 18 months in jail before prosecutors dropped those charges in December 2020 due to insufficient evidence.
The Shake Ya Ass rapper built his career with No Limit Records in the ’90s. He earned three Grammy nominations during his peak years.
Judge Steven Tureau will oversee Tyler’s trial scheduled for March 30, 2026. Tyler has a motion hearing set for March 17, 2026.
If convicted on the first-degree rape charge, Tyler faces life in prison without parole under Louisiana’s mandatory sentencing laws.
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