Testimony, Day Six

Testimony got underway late today, because the courtroom was being used for jury selection for other trials. We are underway now. One juror has been dismissed because she has come down with a cold. So one of the four alternates has been picked to serve.

Bill Hancock, one of the Madison County Jail administrators is on the stand.

Hancock says that in November 2007, Jamal Woods had an altercation with jail guards, because Woods' mother was not allowed to visit.

There is a problem in the courtroom. The defense says they may call one of the prosecutors, Shauna Barnett to testify. They believe that the proper chain of custody for letters and documents Jamal Woods wrote while in jail were not properly followed. They claim Barnett had custody of the letters when she should not have had custody of them. So Larry Morgan has asked the judge for a mistrial. Judge Hamilton has left the courtroom, while she makes her decision.

Sorry for the delay. Judge Hamilton has ruled that letters supposedly written by Jamal Woods while in jail, cannot be entered into evidence. The prosecution's last witness was to be a hand writing expert, so he is not testifying. Instead, the prosecution is showing the jury the security camera video from the store. So far the video hasn't even gotten to the shooting portion. It's not clear why the prosecution wants the jury to see all of this, rather than just the shooting itself.

The state has rested its case. We are now waiting for the defense to begin.

The defense calls Dr. Adel Shaker. He also testified for the prosecution.