SAN ANTONIO – The defense team representing Taymor McIntyre in his capital murder trial was sternly reprimanded by the judge on Tuesday after violating a pretrial order during cross-examination of a key witness.
McIntyre, also known as rapper Tay-K, was charged in connection with the 2017 robbery and shooting death of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar.
During questioning of Joanna Reyes, who testified that she was driving the vehicle the day Saldivar was killed and saw McIntyre pull the trigger, defense attorney John Hunter referenced allegations that Saldivar may have possessed child pornography — a subject the court had previously barred from being introduced before the jury without prior discussion.
The reference led to an immediate objection by the prosecution, the removal of the jury from the courtroom, and a sharp admonishment from Bexar County 187th District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd.
“What matters to the court is that it’s a bad act,” Boyd said. “All you had to do was approach the court. I would have heard what you were seeking to get from this witness, and I would have made a ruling on it. But instead, you have people violating rules.”
Watch the entire courtroom exchange between Boyd and the defense in the video below.
Although the incident could have led to a mistrial, Judge Boyd instead instructed the jury to disregard any mention of child pornography during testimony or questioning.
Reyes remained on the stand for the rest of the afternoon and denied defense suggestions that she was the one who placed the gun in McIntyre’s hand. She concluded her testimony without changing any major details in her account of the shooting.
Testimony in the case is expected to continue on Wednesday.
More Taymor McIntyre capital murder trial coverage on KSAT:
