CEDARTOWN — Polk County jurors Tuesday continued hearing witness testimonies in the murder trial of Cedartown resident Jermaine Deon Ware.

Ware, 35, was indicted in July 2011 on charges of malice murder, felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon from an incident that took place on New Year’s Day 2011.

Several of the prosecution’s key witnesses were heard from Tuesday morning and into the afternoon.

Judge W.A. Foster ruled today that photographs presented by the defense were inadmissible after Assistant District Attorney Andrew Garland voiced concerns that he felt the photos slandered the character of Rodney Mitchell Jr., the deceased shooting victim.

Ware’s attorney argued the photographs were a main piece of his defense, stating the photos proved that someone else had a motive to shoot Mitchell.

Rockmart resident Mitchell was shot to death during the early-morning incident, which took place in the area of Gordon and Church streets in Rockmart.

Lisa Mason, a prosecutor with the Polk County District Attorney’s office, addressed the jury Monday afternoon in opening statements.

The state believes that the altercation leading to Mitchell’s death stemmed from a party prank gone bad.

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