Desiree Washington

Desiree is the daughter of Donald and Mary Washington.[1] She attended Providence College.[1]

Rape conviction, prison, and conversion

Mike 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 Indianapolis courthouse from January 26, 1992 to February 10, 1992.

Desiree Washington testified that she received a phone call from Tyson at 1:36 am on July 19, 1991 inviting her to a party. Having joined Tyson in his limousine, Washington testified that Tyson made sexual advances towards her. She testified that upon arriving at his hotel room 606,[2] Tyson pinned her down on his bed and raped her despite her pleas to stop. She ran out of the room and asked Tyson's chauffeur to drive her back to her hotel.[3] Partial corroboration of Washington's story came via testimony from Tyson's chauffeur, Virginia Foster, who confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock. 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.[4]

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.[5] Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992 after the jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours.[6] Mike was found guilty of rape. An appeal by Allan Dershowitz failed.[3]

In 1995, she pursued a civil lawsuit against Mike Tyson.[7] She settled for 1 million dollars.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Shattered : We know all about Mike Tyson's release from prison--the limo, the mansion, the boxing prospects. But what about the woman he raped? Desiree Washington is still trying to pick up the pieces of her life.". latimes.
  2. ↑ "Judgment Day". people.com.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Mike Tyson rapes a Miss Black America contestant". HISTORY.com.
  4. ↑ Peter Heller (August 21, 1995). Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Story. Da Capo Press. pp. 414–. ISBN 978-0-306-80669-8. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  5. ↑ Great American Trials; The Mike Tyson Trial, 1992; ISBN 1-57859-199-6; Copyright 1994; New England Publishing Associates Inc.
  6. ↑ Muscatine, Alison., Tyson Found Guilty of Rape, Two Other Charges, The Washington Post via MIT-The Tech, February 11, 1992. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Shattered : We know all about Mike Tyson's release from prison--the limo, the mansion, the boxing prospects. But what about the woman he raped? Desiree Washington is still trying to pick up the pieces of her life.". latimes.