Defense attorneys had asked the he be removed
A judge shot down the request of a suspected multiple-murderer, who was calling for a new judge in his case. Brian Nichols, who is charged with murdering an Atlanta judge and three other people during a daring escape from the Fulton County Courthouse three years ago, had argued that Superior Court Judge James Bodiford was not impartial because he was a friend of the slain judge, Rowland Barnes. DeKalb Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey found that the friendship between Bodiford and Rowland does not mean that Bodiford cannot be impartial. The Nichols trial already has been delayed six times, and Bodiford is the second judge to have the case. The first judge, Hilton Fuller, stepped down following a string of controversies. He delayed the case several times, most notably after agreeing with defense motions that Nichols’ defense had not been adequately supported by state dollars. He closed up shop until the state kicked in more money. Then, under pressure from the same defense team he had ruled in favor of, after stating that “everybody knows that Nichols is the murderer,” he left the case. Bodiford has said that he will do everything to keep the trial, which could be the costliest in state history, moving forward. Nichols allegedly killed Barnes, a court reporter and a sheriff’s deputy after taking a deputy’s gun. He later killed a federal immigration officer, according to the prosecutor. He is facing death if convicted.

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