A prosecutor squared off Tuesday against a Monroe County street preacher who is accused of trying to incite a riot last summer at a Lee Highway memorial dedicated to July 16 victims.
It did not go well.
James HutchinsJames Hutchins, 61, tried to invoke the Bible in the first sentence of his opening statements to jurors, interrupted Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz, and cross examined his wife on the witness stand, all without a defense attorney on his first day of trial.
Prosecutor Bates Bryan objected numerous times throughout Tuesday’s proceedings, which ended early after Greenholtz ruled that Hutchins asked his wife to discuss evidence that jurors weren’t supposed to hear. Without the jury present, Greenholtz said Debbie Hutchins had discussed her testimony outside of the courtroom with another witness – which is forbidden during an ongoing trial.
It was supposed to be a routine hearing.