ATLANTA (AP) -- The judge presiding over the murder case
involving accused courthouse shooter Brian Nichols can remain on
the case.
Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey, in a ruling Thursday,
denied a defense motion seeking to remove Superior Court Judge
James Bodiford from the Nichols case.
The defense argued Bodiford can't be fair to Nichols because of
comments Bodiford made in a newspaper article published four days
after the March 11th, 2005, shooting spree that began at the Fulton
County Courthouse.
Bodiford said in the story that he was friends with slain Judge
Rowland Barnes, and he released a statement at the time describing
Barnes' death as a "brutal murder."
The previous judge overseeing the murder case stepped down from
the case in January because of comments he made to a magazine.
Nichols is charged with killing Barnes and three other people.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)