Another loss in court
Tyson's psychological records become public Tuesday
Posted: Monday October 12, 1998 11:16 PM
| |
The ruling comes a week before Tyson is to appear in front of state boxing officials AP |
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Mike Tyson's attorney said psychological exams
to be released Tuesday will show that the former heavyweight
champion is mentally and physically fit to return to the ring.
"He is sound mentally, he is sound physically, and he is sound
neurologically," attorney Jim Jimmerson said Monday.
Jimmerson said a team of psychiatrists concluded in their
reports that Tyson occasionally reacts in anger, but can control
his feelings through additional counseling.
However, Jimmerson acknowledged that there are certain aspects
of the report that Tyson would prefer the public not see.
"It is a hard-hitting report," Jimmerson said. "There are
going to be things that talk about his innermost thoughts and
innermost feelings."
Jimmerson said he reviewed the reports for two hours on Monday
and turned them over to the Nevada Athletic Commission at 7:57 p.m.
EDT, three minutes before the deadline for next Monday's hearing on
whether Tyson will be granted a new boxing license.
The commission plans to release the reports at 11 a.m. EDT
Tuesday.
Jimmerson said the reports answer "in the affirmative" the
five questions the commissioners asked the doctors at Massachusetts
General Hospital to answer during their five days of evaluating
Tyson.
Earlier Monday, Tyson lost a fight to keep the records out of
public view.
A divided Nevada Supreme Court refused to block a lower court's
order that allows the documents to be made public once they are
given to the commission.
Though the court rejected the motion to keep the records secret,
two of the five justices questioned why all the details of Tyson's
psychological tests had to be revealed.
"Today's majority ruling unfairly and needlessly puts Mr. Tyson
in a dilemma: He may choose, to his great personal and financial
loss, to withdraw his application, or he must risk the
embarrassment that may result from the unlawful release of
confidential matters," Justice Charles Springer said in dissent.
But Justice Miriam Shearing, siding with the majority, said that
Tyson was seeking a privileged license to box, and that the
commission has no authority to edit the reports to keep
embarrassing details out of public view.
Tyson issued a statement which indicated he was not happy the
reports were released, but that he would do whatever he had to get
licensed again.
"On numerous occasions I have apologized for my actions in the
ring versus Evander Holyfield," Tyson said. "I am willing to do
whatever the Nevada Athletic Commission wants me to do in order to
regain my license to fight."
The ruling came a week before Tyson goes before state boxing
officials once again to try and get back the license they revoked
15 months ago when he bit Evander Holyfield's ears during the third
round of their aborted fight for the heavyweight title.
Tyson and his advisers want the hearing as soon as possible
because they want Tyson to fight a comeback fight in December if he
gets his license back.
Those close to Tyson say his wife, Monica, was the driving force
behind the attempt to block the release of the records.
Tyson's attorneys have been working for more than a week trying to
resolve one more big hurdle for the fighter.
Tyson faces trial in Montgomery County, Maryland, the same day the
commission meets on assault charges filed by two men stemming from
an August 31 traffic accident in a Washington, D.C., suburb.
Tyson's attorneys have been trying to negotiate a settlement
with the two men, although prosecutors in Maryland say they plan to
go ahead with the case even if a settlement is reached.
A quick decision on regaining his boxing license is crucial to
Tyson because the former heavyweight champion is in financial
trouble and wants to begin his comeback with a December fight in
Las Vegas that could earn him enough money to pay off a $13 million
IRS lien.
If Tyson's re-licensing is delayed even further, there would not
be enough time to put together a comeback fight by the end of the
year.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
