The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Judges have ordered their own security review of the downtown courthouse where a colleague, a court reporter and a sheriff’s deputy were killed two weeks ago.
The judges are worried about security lapses at the state’s busiest courthouse and decided not to wait for Sheriff Myron Freeman’s promised security review, said Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Doris Downs.
“We are going to be a lot more proactive to ensure that our courthouse is secure,” Downs said Wednesday.
Bids for an independent review are expected by the end of the week. The estimated $20,000 to $40,000 cost will be paid out of the court’s administrative funds, Downs said.
Brian Nichols is accused of in the March 11 slayings of Judge Rowland Barnes, court stenographer Julie Ann Brandau and deputy Sgt. Hoyt Teasley. Nichols, who was appearing before Barnes on a rape charge, is also accused of killing federal agent David Wilhelm before being captured the next day.