Canoe.ca All courthouse security should be reviewed

Brian Nichols’ constitutional rights were the first thing in the judge’s mind as Nichols’ second trial on rape charges was set to begin. That was what triggered a hideous series of incidents in Atlanta in which four people, including that judge, were killed.

The judge wanted to make sure that jurors were not prejudiced against Nichols by seeing him handcuffed, shackled or in orange prisoner garb. So the 33-year-old former football player walked down a corridor toward the courtroom with only a 51-year-old, 5-4, 130-pound female guard between him and freedom.

It was no surprise thatNichols was able to disarm his female guard, either shoot her or strike her on the head with her own weapon, then rush into the courtroom where he shot and killed the judge and his court reporter. Also killed moments later was a deputy sheriff who tried to stop Nichols as he rushed outside, and later during the 24 hours he was at large, a federal officer was shot and killed and his gun and vehicle taken.

That Nichols finally surrendered to police without further loss of life or injury is a fortuitous circumstance indeed. But the fact remains that Atlanta police, sheriff’s officers, and state and federal officers had to play “catch-up” for a full day because someone in charge of security at the Fulton County courthouse dropped the ball with a resounding thud.