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Judge Won't Allow Selfies Of Woman Killed On Porch; Defense Says They're Critical To Case

DEARBORN HEIGHTS (AP/WWJ) - A judge handling the case of a Dearborn Heights man who killed a young woman on his porch says jurors won't see selfies of the victim with marijuana, alcohol and a gun.

Defense lawyers say the photos on Renisha McBride's cell phone are critical to show the jury that she had a "character trait" for violence and aggression.

But Wayne County Judge Dana Hathaway said they're not proper under Michigan law.

Last week, prosecutors argued the photos — like the text messages referencing marijuana which have also been banned from the trial — don't belong in the case.

"Just because it's on your phone, doesn't say anything about who you are as a person," said assistant prosecutor Danielle Hagaman-Clark on Friday.

Holding up her own phone Hagaman-Clark offered a hypothetical.

"You might find a naked picture of me. Does that make me a hooker?" she asked.

Theodore Wafer, 55, is charged with second-degree murder in the 19-year-old's shooting death last November.

McBride, who had an extremely high blood-alcohol level, was shot three hours after she walked away from a car crash, about a half-mile away in Detroit. It's not known where she went on foot before arriving at Wafer's porch.

Wafer says he shot her in self-defense.

[Catch Up On This Case]

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