Will Atlanta Courthouse Killer Brian Nichols be Convicted of Murder?

"The courthouse killings case against Brian Nichols was supposed to be as open-and-shut as they come.

"There were hordes of witnesses, hours of surveillance video and his lengthy statement to investigators after his arrest, when police say he confessed to a rampage that left four people dead.

"Even Nichols' defense team has conceded Nichols killed a judge, court reporter, sheriff's deputy and federal agent on March 11, 2005, in a spree that began at the county courthouse in downtown Atlanta. He has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys plan to argue he was the victim of a "delusional compulsion" during the killings.

"Both sides must contend with a case that has wound through more twists than an airport thriller: A state-funded defense bill of at least $1.8 million, outraged lawmakers, an alleged escape plot, allegations that a prosecutor committed crimes of her own and the district attorney suing the presiding judge, who later stepped down.

"Judge Hilton Fuller suspended the trial indefinitely in October 2007 because the state public defender's office cut off funding to Nichols' attorneys amid a budget crunch.

"Then the trial suddenly lost its leader: Fuller was forced to step down in January after he was quoted in The New Yorker magazine as saying of Nichols, "everyone in the world knows he did it."

"New judge James Bodiford has tried to keep the case on track. He has had to handle defense attorneys' attempts to challenge the credibility of a former prosecutor, Gayle Abramson, who tried Nichols for rape.

"They claim Abramson was involved in criminal activity while she prosecuted Nichols, and are questioning the integrity of the underlying rape prosecution.

"Once trial begins, it's likely to last months. As many as 600 witnesses could be called."

Will Brian Nichols be convicted of murder?

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