The defense of Damian Valdez Galloso, accused of the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger, requested to postpone a follow-up hearing scheduled for Tuesday, the 10th, before a Miami-Dade court for one week.
The Prosecutor's Office did not oppose the request, although the released court document does not confirm that the judge authorized the change of date.
The request was submitted on November 3 by defense attorney Ricardo P. Hermida, who stated that he had a prior professional commitment that required his physical presence in the Federal Court for the Eastern District of Texas on November 9 and 10.
The journalist from Univision, Daniel Benítez, announced the court motion through his social media.
The document, identified by registration number 260602037, corresponds to case F24-23303, which is being processed before Judge Tinkler Mendez of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
The defense requests one more week for the hearing
The follow-up hearing was scheduled for November 10, 2026, at 9:15 in the morning.
However, due to Hermida's professional obligation in Texas, the defense requested to postpone it by one week, until Tuesday, November 17, at a time determined by the court.
According to the motion, the attorney's commitment outside of Florida prevented him from appearing in person before the Miami-Dade court.
The request seeks permission for him to attend the hearing and provide information regarding the status of the criminal proceeding against his client.
The document specifies that the request is limited exclusively to the follow-up hearing and does not include postponing the trial or modifying other procedural deadlines.
The Prosecutor's Office stated that it does not oppose the requested change.
However, the motion circulated by Benítez does not include a ruling from the judge confirming whether the hearing was indeed rescheduled for November 17.
The charges against Damian Valdez Galloso
Valdez Galloso faces three serious charges related to the death of José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, known artistically as El Taiger: first-degree murder, attempting to tamper with physical evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The accused has pleaded not guilty, and his defense has argued that he acted in self-defense.
Lawyer Hermida has also questioned the investigators' version and pointed to another individual as responsible for the shot that caused the singer's death.
During a hearing held on July 28, the lawyer insisted that his strategy would be to defend Valdez Galloso's innocence during the trial, without seeking a plea agreement with the prosecution.
The prosecution has ruled out seeking the death penalty. However, a potential conviction for first-degree murder could result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The murder of El Taiger and the judicial process
According to the police investigation, El Taiger was shot in the head during the early hours of October 3, 2024, at a residence in Hialeah, Florida.
The authorities maintain that Valdez Galloso shot the artist and subsequently transported his body in a black Mercedes-Benz to the vicinity of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
The singer remained hospitalized in critical condition for a week, until he passed away on October 10, 2024, at the age of 37.
Valdez Galloso was arrested on October 29 of that year in Brooklyn, New York, and subsequently transferred to Miami-Dade to face legal proceedings.
He was initially charged with second-degree murder, but in November 2024, the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder.
The procedure has experienced several delays due, among other factors, to the number of tests and the coordination required among the police agencies involved in the investigation.
During the hearing on July 28, it was revealed that the Prosecutor's Office anticipated presenting between 15 and 20 witnesses, as well as security camera recordings, DNA samples, and over 1,200 forensic photographs.
Subsequently, during the hearing on September 2, no plea agreement was reached, and a follow-up hearing was scheduled for November 10.
The new request from the defense does not, by itself, change the trial schedule set for March 2027. Damian Valdez Galloso is still awaiting trial for the death of the popular Cuban singer.
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