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Associated Press - December 6, 2009 11:45 AM ET
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The history of cross burning is part of legal maneuvering as the trial of an Anderson County man nears.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton will decide if a University of Tennessee professor will testify in the Tuesday trial of Steven Archer, who is accused of violating the civil rights of an interracial couple living in a home on his family's property by burning a cross there.
According to The Knoxville News Sentinel, Archer's attorney wants to exclude professor Dr. Cynthia Griggs Fleming from testifying at trial about the history of cross burning.
Prosecutors said in pleadings that Fleming's testimony will help jurors decide if it was reasonable for the couple to perceive the incident as a racial threat.
Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
