The witness was a "jailhouse snitch." The homicide detective was a "donkey." There was no jury present, but defense attorney William F. Cercone Jr. put on a full show yesterday during a preliminary hearing for his client, Tyson Smith. The 21-year-old Allentown man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of Jermaine Woods at his Forest Hills apartment in the midst of a home invasion last year.

Yesterday, Mr. Smith's alleged accomplice in the home invasion, Joseph Alexander -- who originally had been arrested for the murder -- fingered him as the gunman.

"You're going down," Mr. Cercone told Mr. Alexander as they stood before District Judge Robert P. Dzvonick.

Allegheny County homicide Detective Robert Opferman protested that the attorney was "intimidating" the witness.

"Come on, Mr. Cercone. You've got too much class for that," Judge Dzvonick told him.

Mr. Cercone, who sports a handlebar mustache and is sometimes known by the nickname "Wild Bill," then pointed at Detective Opferman and said, "I've got too much class for this donkey."

They glared at each other. (They had feuded earlier when Mr. Cercone demanded to know the identity of three people watching the hearing, including Mr. Woods' aunt, Lenora Woods.)

Mr. Woods was shot in the chest on Jan. 25, 2007 at 28 Kenmore Ave. in Forest Hills.

According to Mike Manko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County district attorney's office, Mr. Alexander, 24, has pleaded guilty to third degree homicide in the case and has agreed to testify against Mr. Smith.

He told the court yesterday that the pair went to Mr. Woods' apartment because they were looking to rob him. Mr. Alexander was also upset because his ex-girlfriend, Shadena Garner, and their 2-year-old daughter were there with Mr. Woods.

When they arrived at the apartment, Mr. Smith kicked the door in, Mr. Alexander said.

Mr. Woods ran through the living room and into a bathroom. Mr. Smith took out a handgun and fired several shots at the bathroom.

Mr. Woods then came out and tried to grab Mr. Smith's gun. It went off, and Mr. Woods fell to the floor, Mr. Alexander said. Ms. Garner and her child were sitting in the living room when the fatal shot was fired.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Alexander then left, taking the girl with them.

Police arrested Mr. Alexander on June 11 of last year. Almost a month later, they arrested Mr. Smith.

Both Mr. Alexander, tall and lanky, and Mr. Smith, with his hair up in two buns, wore red jail jumpsuits and shackles as they stood before the judge. Mr. Smith stayed silent throughout the hearing, but he stared intensely at Mr. Alexander.

Judge Dzvonick decided there was enough evidence to hold Mr. Smith for trial. He faces charges of criminal homicide, burglary, robbery, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal conspiracy.

Mr. Cercone suggested that Mr. Alexander, not Mr. Smith, had the motivation to harm Mr. Woods because the man was with his ex-girlfriend.

"The man is a jailhouse snitch," the attorney said after the hearing. "To get a better deal for himself, he would give up his mother."