Posted on 03/15/2005 9:30:37 AM PST by mhking
The man wanted for fatally shooting four people, inciting a day-long manhunt and holding a woman hostage for 10 hours went before a judge Tuesday morning regarding charges from a previous case.
Scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., the hearing for 33-year-old Brian Nichols ended shortly after the hour. He stands accused of rape, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment, burglary and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, authorities said.
Fulton County authorities have yet to charge Nichols with the four shooting deaths that occurred last Friday.
Nichols appeared at a magistrate courtroom located inside of the Fulton County jail for a status hearing regarding the rape trial, which he was brought to the county courthouse for last Friday.
A handful of fully-armed Fulton sheriff’s deputies, members of the special tactical unit, escorted Nichols into the courtroom, according to 11Alive Reporter Kevin Rowson. Wearing a navy blue jail uniform, Nichols walked into the courtroom with his feet shackled and his hands cuffed and chained around the waist.
A total of 15 Fulton sheriff’s deputies were in the courtroom at the time. Ten of them came from the special tactical unit and were armed, while five other sheriff’s deputies did not have guns inside of their holsters.
Two public defenders, Chris Adams and Gary Parker from the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council, represented Nichols. They presented a motion challenging the Fulton magistrates’ appointment of Judge Cox to preside at the status hearing.
To that end, all Fulton magistrates had recused themselves from the case on Monday, but not before appointing Cobb County Magistrate Judge Frank Cox to preside at the status hearing.
At the hearing, the public defender claimed Cox should never have been appointed by the Fulton court officials. Judge Cox denied the motion and continued Nichols’ denial of bond.
Fulton Assistant District Attorney Michele McCutheon said the prosecution did intend to file charges of murder regarding the shooting deaths of Fulton Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Ann Brandau, sheriff’s Deputy Hoyt Teasley and U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm at a later date. Authorities have said that Nichols admitted to killing all four after his arrest last Saturday.
McCutheon also said that charges would be filed regarding Nichols’ escape from the Fulton courthouse and a series of other offenses.
After advising Nichols of his rights, the judge asked him if he wanted to say anything. He replied, “Not at this time.”
On Monday, Fulton court officials appointed Judge Stephanie Manus to handle Nichols’ rape case. Nichols faces a maximum of life for the rape charge and a maximum total of 75 years for the other charges.
The District Attorney Office’s has not specified whether the rape trial would proceed before the trial based on the pending new charges against Nichols.
Just damn.
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Thanks!
A handful of fully-armed Fulton sheriff’s deputies,
Were AWOL a few days ago.
Just as long as he is not dressed in prison garb and shackled in front of a jury!
Wonder how long the tight security will last... I give it 6 months then its back to feeling like a DMV again.
Yea, couldn't they at least clean the guy up? (Hope I don't need a sarcasm tag).
Thanks for posting this.
Apreciated your comments last evening of O'Reilly.
Walking through a gantlet of officers. Those Atlanta cops are on the ball. Not!
You're making a fool out of yourself.
How long before the Lifetime Made-For-TV version of Ashley Smith's story shows up? And will it compete with a CBS (though I wouldn't count ABC out) Made-For-TV movie of the whole debacle?
If he'd been shackled the first time, all this would not have happened!
> Fulton County authorities have yet to charge Nichols
> with the four shooting deaths that occurred last Friday.
They're too busy accidentally destroying the evidence of
the massive administrative mismanagement and technical
incompetence that allowed the killing spree to unfold
unimpeded.
I agree! He sees the SWAT team surrounding him and he suddenly sees the light!
This is a post about Brian Nichols, a quadruple murderer.
And yet you aim your venom at Ashley Smith, whose name is not even mentioned in the article. What the HELL is your problem?
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