WSB's Veronica Waters reports Chiman Rai faces a possible death sentence if convicted. Tuesday, Chi's lawyers take center stage. They say they have several witnesses, but expect them to be brief. The judge says if the defense's case wraps up quickly, the jury could hear closing arguments as early as Tuesday afternoon.

The state called a former jail cellmate of Rai's to testify, who said Rai spoke of his hatred for black people and said he would do anything to protect his family.

"He says, 'They're all scum. Every one of those black people are scum, and I wish I had more money. I already spent money once to take care of somebody. I wish I had more money, I'd get rid of them all,'" Albert Walmer testified.

Defense attorney Jack Martin slammed Walmer's credibility, detailing his long list of felony convictions and implying that he turned snitch in order to get consideration on a previously pending case. Walmer, Martin pointed out, had been quite successful in the past as a liar.

"Passing bad checks? Lies. Swindles? Lies. Defrauding innkeepers? Lies. Correct?" said Martin.

"All for a benefit," Walmer replied.

"All for a benefit?" Martin repeated.

"There is no benefit here. I've already been sentenced," said Walmer.

A forensic accountant earlier testified that he had pored over several of Chiman Rai's Mississippi bank accounts, and that in April of 2000, Rai had hundreds of thousands of dollars at his disposal at any given time. He ran very "cash-intensive" businesses, including a check-cashing service and a grocery store. Bill Bruton testified that he had found no specific $10,000 cash transaction--which was the amount of money a confessed middle man said he was given to pay a hit man.

Herbert Green said last week on the stand that banker Gary Nowell counted out $10,000 and gave it to him at Rai's request. But Nowell said Monday he had absolutely no recollection of that ever happening and said if it had, there would have to have been some bank record of it.

"If Herbert Green came in here and said that he walked in the bank one day and you said, 'Come here' and counted out 100 $100 bills...has that ever happened?" asked defense attorney Don Samuel.

"No," Nowell replied.

"Ever?" asked Samuel.

"Never," said Nowell.

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