Jesse Dalton	- Download MP3-

Two men standing trial today for a single murder will be wearing stun belts in court to prevent violence against each other.

Although technically on the same side as his co-defendant, Timothy “Timbo” Evans, 19, is expected to show evidence that Michael “Mike Mike” Daniels, 22, ordered him to kill Adrian Patton in 2006.

The crime became a heavily scrutinized example of a perceived gang problem in Chattanooga when, according to police records, Mr. Daniels ordered the victim killed because he shot into the home of Mr. Daniels’ sister a few days earlier. Mr. Patton’s death is believed to have led to a retaliation killing a couple of days later in the East Lake Courts housing development, police said.

The stun belts are part of tightened security measures ordered by Hamilton County Criminal Judge Rebecca Stern, who will preside over the trial in which Mr. Daniels and Mr. Evans are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Jury selection begins today, and testimony is expected to start Wednesday.

“Apparently the two co-defendants are at odds with each other,” Judge Stern said. “(The extra security) is out of an abundance of caution, hoping to discourage problems between the defendants and their supporters.”

Security preparations began Friday, when court personnel installed a metal detector and X-ray machine outside Judge Stern’s courtroom on the third floor of the Hamilton County Courthouse.

Beginning today, everyone entering the courtroom will be required to walk through the device for the duration of the trial. Under normal circumstances, people are screened only at the entrance to the courthouse itself but are then free to enter individual courtrooms without being subjected to extra searches.

Those serving on the jury also are expected to be sequestered to prevent media exposure and to protect their safety.

Mr. Daniels’ defense attorney, Jesse Dalton, failed in his effort last week to get a separate trial for his client, something he said could have prevented a potential conflict between the co-defendants and also given his client a fairer trial.

“Mr. Evans is claiming that he was ordered to kill this individual, and we know that he wasn’t,” Mr. Dalton said, adding the prosecution makes the same claim.

Mr. Dalton said he now has to defend Mr. Daniels not only from the prosecution table but from the defense table as well.

“It’s something that puts us in a very awkward, odd position,” Mr. Dalton said.

Judge Stern said she denied the request to try the two men separately because holding two trials would have been a “huge expense” to the county. She also said that local procedure calls for two people to be tried together when they are implicated in the same crime.

Executive Assistant District Attorney Neal Pinkston, who is prosecuting the case with colleague Bates Bryan, declined to comment. Attorney John McDougal, who represents Mr. Evans, also declined to comment.