Tay-K’s fight against his 80-year prison sentence has been put on hold after an appeals court ordered the original trial judge to explain a key evidence ruling.
The rapper won the temporary delay Thursday as he appeals his conviction in the killing of San Antonio photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar.
At issue is a search warrant for an iPhone discovered inside a car that authorities believed was connected to the murder. Tay-K’s attorneys sought to block evidence obtained from the device during his trial, but the judge determined that police had probable cause to search it.
Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals has now given the trial court 10 days to provide written findings and legal conclusions supporting that decision. Tay-K’s appeal will restart after the explanation is submitted, and his attorneys will receive a deadline for their next brief.
He is separately serving a 55-year sentence for a deadly 2016 home invasion, and his projected release date is August 8, 2099.
The defense has also questioned the reliability of Joana Reyes, an alleged accomplice who testified that Tay-K fired the shot that killed Saldivar.
His lawyers argue that prosecutors misrepresented Reyes’ legal record and gave jurors a “total misimpression” of her credibility.