The phrase “racist rednecks” is threatening to derail a federal murder trial as jurors prepare to decide whether the 24-year-old man they convicted should be put to death or be allowed to live out his life in prison.

A federal judge is expected to rule Friday on the defense’s motion for a mistrial in the case of Rejon Taylor based on several jurors’ admissions that they heard themselves referred to by the defendant as “racist rednecks” in media reports.

The defense argues that there is no way the jurors' prejudice possibly could be remedied before the life-or-death decision. The prosecution says the defense wants them to be prejudiced and a mistrial declared precisely because they already have declared Mr. Taylor guilty of the 2003 murder of Atlanta restaurant owner Guy Luck.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.

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