Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's name is so toxic a federal judge blocked prosecutors from mentioning it Thursday during the $12 million bid-rigging trial of contractor Bobby Ferguson.

U.S. District Judge David Lawson was concerned the mere mention of Kilpatrick's name would be prejudicial against Ferguson, the former mayor's close friend. Instead, Kilpatrick was identified as a "city official" in front of the jury.

It was the latest instance of the former mayor's shadow looming over the bid-rigging trial, which is focusing on contracts awarded during Kilpatrick's tenure. The jury selection process took six days, an inordinately long time as lawyers individually questioned jurors about their feelings toward Kilpatrick, who is not on trial in the case.

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