Tay-K has submitted a written argument in his Texas murder appeal.
The 26-year-old rapper’s attorneys filed a Brief of Appellant in the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals on Tuesday (Sept. 29). Because the document was longer than the normal word limit, the rapper’s attorneys had to ask the court for permission to file it. They also asked for an opportunity to argue their case in person before the appeals court.
The appeal raises 13 different issues that the defense says went wrong during the trial. The lawyers argue that the trial involved constitutional and evidence-related errors, while using quotes from the trial transcript to support their arguments.
The appeal points to tension between the defense attorney and the judge during the trial.
As an example, they quote Tay-K’s attorney, who told the judge at one point during the proceedings: “I understand for the purpose of the record, the Court’s upset with me. The Court’s tone of voice indicates that.”
The defense also argues that prosecutors gave the jury a misleading impression about the prosecution’s main witness Joanna Reyes, noting that she had allegedly violated the terms of her bond multiple times.
Tay-K, who gained notoriety for his 2017 single “The Race,” is serving two concurrent decades-long prison sentences in Texas. He received 55 years for a 2016 Mansfield home invasion that killed Ethan Walker, and 80 years for the fatal 2017 San Antonio shooting of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar. This appeal is over the latter case.
Records confirm Tay-K has no scheduled release date, with parole eligibility set for 2049 and a sentence expiration in 2099.
