I found it worth writing about because what I saw that needed marking was the possible lapse in security, in a courthouse - a place that should arguably be one of the safest of federal buildings - the murder of Judge Rowland Barnes, a man whose reputation, from all readings I can find, was sterling; a man respected by defense and prosecuting attorneys alike.
And I wanted to mark the fact that it happened here, and could happen anywhere. With the recent murder of the family of federal judge Joan Lefkow [Google News Search], it appears it is happening elsewhere.
Even though Brian Nichols was accused of some pretty vile crimes, it appears no one anticipated that he'd emerge as the explosively violent animal he appears to have been under the surface all along - an interview with the foreman of the "hung" jury from Nichols' first trial was broadcast on CNN, and the man described Nichols as "earnest, intelligent, articulate".
I also wanted to note another instance where the system's bending over backwards to ensure a fair trial for the accused may have turned around and bitten the system hard, on it's collective ass. At the very least, they should have kept the orange-red jumpsuit and shackles. If it was good enough for Denny Rader, the accused BTK Strangler, serial murderer of at least 10 people, [Google Search] to appear in jailhouse coveralls and chains at his arraignment, a man who on the surface had always appeared to most to be an excessively law-abiding citizen, it was good enough for Brian Nichols.
Below is a selection of news articles about this (at the moment) ongoing event:
- Reuters Article.
- Canadian Site's article noting that Judge Barnes was also the presiding judge in the manslaughter case against pro hockey player Dany Heatley.
- Bloomberg Article.
- ABC News article.
- Washington Post article.
- CNN Article.
(This blog entry can be found in a slightly different form at my "true crime" blog, www.planethuff.com/darkside.)
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
wow, just crazy shit, thanks for such a great report on such a terrible sequence of events
2 - Steve
Thanks Eric. I've tended to cover domestic stuff and serial crimes, as well as unsolved mystery-type stuff, but this one was so close, so omnipresent as to the news coverage that I figured I should follow it.
Not to mention the creepy fact that they looked for him first in my neighborhood.
3 - Eric Olsen
let us know when they find and/or eliminate the plug, please
4 - RJ
I hope they catch this bastard, and soon. He's clearly a killer. Anyone who is within 4 square miles of this madman is in perilous danger.
5 - Aaman
Dude, you're not supposed to change the timestamp on the post to bump it up - put another post in. Looks like the comments section is screwed up too, not sure if it's because of this post
Thanks for the reporting
6 - Steve
Sorry about that - I'd forgotten, and I was in a hurry. The comments? Don't know about them - I'm given to understand we don't control the comments.
7 - Richard
WHAT A BUMMER. A DAMN SHAME. ALL THE BIG BOYS WERE OUT GETTING "DRUNK DRIVERS". I KNOW, I WAS THERE.
PRIORITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8 - RJ
Jeez...
9 - blogon
Stay tuned...it's inevitable that the defense and supporters of 'the-innocent-by-reason-of-insanity-Mr. Nichols' will cite a failed judicial system that caused Mr. Nichols to "snap" during his retrial, a flawed court security system, and a slow emergency response team who were unable to save the murdered victims. The blame game has already begun initiated by the official at the press conference who stated two times that he had "only been on the job for two months" in response to the lack of courtroom security.
10 - OfcNobody
The courthouse shootings shouldn't shock anyone in Atlanta but it certainly should bring to light the lax security measures that this courthouse maintains. I cant help but go back to Ofc Hall, a 51 year old grandmother, by herself, being responsible for preparing, and escorting, an alleged violent rapist, to the courtroom. I have no idea who her supervisor was but he or she needs to be fired, no questions asked. Period. Had that first altercation not taken place, the story could have very well turned out differently. And the citizens of Atlanta would not have had to go through the amount of memorials that they have this week. This officer's supervisor should also bear the responsibility of the deaths of Judge Barnes, Court Reporter Julie Brandau, Sgt Keith Teasley and Special Agent David Wilhelm. 4 people who didnt have to, died, one was seriously wounded.... because of incompetence. Period.
The local news here is now reporting that the two officers who were supposed to be monitoring the cameras for the courtrooms, were on their way across the street to pick up breakfast for their Captain. Having worked in law enforcement most of my life, I can understand the occasional breakfast run. But that is only if time and security permits. What I cannot understand is that with the movement of Brian Nichols, the alleged rapist who two days prior had been discovered to be hiding two shanks in his shoes on his way into the courtroom. And after Judge Barnes had already made known to everyone that this particular inmate would need extra security due to his violent behavior, why in God's name did they choose breakfast over what could go wrong, and what ultimately did go wrong. And reports have stated that Judge Barnes did activate the silent emergency button when Nichols broke into the courtroom. But no one responded.
It was only a couple days after the shootings that Dekalb Co Sheriff's Dept responded to a shots fired call in a parking lot. They arrive on the scene and toss a suspect in their patrol car. They began trying to sort out what was going on when someone began firing on them. They realized the gunfire was coming from the suspect they had placed in the backseat of the patrol car. This embarrasses me to be not only a citizen of Georgia but a member of law enforcement.
In less than three days you have a shooting spree committed and the suspect somehow managed to make it down 8 floors and out into the streets of Atlanta, where he then gunned down two more people. And another office decides that he doesn't have time to search a suspect at a SHOTS FIRED call, and ends up having to stand there gawking at his patrol car while it's being wrapped with crime scene tape.
God have mercy on this city.
11 - yolanda
i cant finnd my frieand and i ve been looking for his