PHOENIX -- Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson checked
into Maricopa County's Tent City jail Tuesday, an open-air facility
near a dog pound and trash dump where he'll serve a one-day
sentence for a DUI conviction.
Tyson, 41, pleaded guilty Sept. 24 to one count of felony
cocaine possession and one misdemeanor count of driving under the
influence. The charges stem from his arrest last year after leaving
Scottsdale's Pussycat Lounge.
Officers stopped Tyson when they spotted him driving
erratically. Police said they saw Tyson brush a white powder off
his dashboard, and they found baggies of cocaine in Tyson's pockets
and in his BMW.
Tyson will be held in a secluded part of Tent City, apart from
the 1,500 other inmates. Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who runs the jail,
said Tyson still must wear the jail-issue pink underwear and
black-and-white striped jumpsuit.
Besides the day in jail, Tyson was sentenced to three years of
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 prison sentence, but
Superior Court Judge Helene Abrams said the boxer has tried to
atone for his crimes and rejected the recommendation.
During a sentencing hearing Monday, Abrams said she was
impressed with the boxer's attempts to complete his GED and how he
voluntarily sought treatment for drug addiction.
"Sobriety is a lifetime job," Abrams told Tyson during the
hearing.