[malvolio]

Judge, Three Others Shot at Atlanta Courthouse


1 hour, 38 minutes ago
- Reuters

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A judge, a court reporter and two sheriff's deputies were shot on Friday at a courthouse in downtown Atlanta, officials said.

Atlanta police would not confirm the identities or condition of those shot at the Fulton County courthouse. CNN reported that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes was one of those shot and had been killed.

Authorities were searching for the suspect, whom they identified as Brian Nichols. Nichols, who is accused of rape, assault and other felonies, escaped the court by carjacking at least one vehicle.

The shooting occurred around 9 a.m. inside the courthouse and may have continued outside the building, according to police. The wounded were taken to a local hospital.

The shooting occurred less than two weeks after the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago were shot to death.

Sounds like somebody messed up big time on security.

[CheesePuff]

Originally posted by malvolio:
Sounds like somebody messed up big time on security.

Because he took the gun from the sheriffs holster?

[malvolio]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
Because he took the gun from the sheriffs holster?

That story didn't say. But an accused felon having a weapon at a courthouse is a definite security breach.

[MrForgetable]

Originally posted by malvolio:
That story didn't say. But an accused felon having a weapon at a courthouse is a definite security breach.

he did take the gun from the sheriff.

[malvolio]

Okay, but a felony suspect? Wasn't he in cuffs or shackles?

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by malvolio:
Okay, but a felony suspect? Wasn't he in cuffs or shackles?

When in court, they don't cuff or shackle you unless you are a proven risk.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

*****, i would have hid a shank in my ass and shivved them

Shanks don't kill people. I kill people.

[bubblewrap]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
When in court, they don't cuff or shackle you unless you are a proven risk.

No, because the defense didn't wan't their jury prejudiced.
Well, I want to see them(the defense team) try to smooth this little incident over.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by bubblewrap:
No, because the defense didn't wan't their jury prejudiced.
Well, I want to see them(the defense team) try to smooth this little incident over.

You said "no" then basically agreed with me.

It's going to be interesting to see how this turns out.

[bubblewrap]

From watching the story on TV(I'm in Atlanta) he was to ba shackled.
But the defense slime petitioned against it.
No I think they should be held 100% liable for their clients actions at this point. They facilitated his ability to kill and escape.

[placebo1969]

Originally posted by bubblewrap:
No, because the defense didn't wan't their jury prejudiced.
Well, I want to see them(the defense team) try to smooth this little incident over.

Sound like he might need Johnnie Cochran or Shapiro.

Unfortunately, some lawyer will make it out be someone else's fault.

[wdlove]

My prayers go out to the victims and their families. Such a tragic event.

[MallyMal]

Yeah, Atlanta is pretty live today. Sirens and helicopters all around my way.

[malvolio]

I just heard on the TV news that he had been caught with 2 shanks yesterday, and they still didn't shackle him.

[Big Mac]

Originally posted by malvolio:
I just heard on the TV news that he had been caught with 2 shanks yesterday, and they still didn't shackle him.

Exactly. The fact that he was not shackled is absolutely ridiculous. What a horrific tragedy. And they still haven't caught him. . . Reminds me quite a bit of Natural Born Killers.

[His Dudeness]

Atlanta cops or complete morons. First, he wasn't shackled. He was unshackled and paired with a lone female cop. First mistake.

Then he ditched the Honda Accord in the same parking lot he carjacked it from and they didn't find it? Give me a break. And why wasn't he shot no less than
a hundred times from all the other cops in the courthouse? Please. Atlanta police are making a mokery of all professional cops.

[Athens]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
Because he took the gun from the sheriffs holster?

Why did the Sheriffs have guns in there in the first place

[Sealobo]

Originally posted by Athens:
Why did the Sheriffs have guns in there in the first place

And that was a famale sheriff?

[His Dudeness]

Yes. And cops should carry guns. That's what cops do. A cop without a gun is like a car without gas. Not going anywhere.

[Athens]

Originally posted by His Dudeness:
Yes. And cops should carry guns. That's what cops do. A cop without a gun is like a car without gas. Not going anywhere.

There is a reason why Prision Guards dont carry guns on them, they CAN BE USED AGINST THEM as in this case. 5 unarmed cops and 1 unarmed criminal equals a brawl with the criminal losing.

[jbartone]

This is sad because it could easily have been prevented.

Why was the criminal unshackled when they had reason to believe he was dangerous (found carrying knives the previous day). And what was an undersized (compared to the criminal) female deputy doing escorting a sizable male criminal in an elevator, with a loaded semi-auto in her holster?

Sad.

[His Dudeness]

Originally posted by Athens:
There is a reason why Prision Guards dont carry guns on them, they CA

N BE USED AGINST THEM as in this case. 5 unarmed cops and 1 unarmed criminal equals a brawl with the criminal losing.

I'm talking about REAL cops. Prison guards aren't real cops. Their jurisdiction is inside the jail. And here where I live, cops carry guns, both inside and
outside courts.

[malvolio]

Originally posted by His Dudeness:
I'm talking about REAL cops. Prison guards aren't real cops. Their jurisdiction is inside the jail. And here where I live, cops carry guns, both inside and
outside courts.

Where I live, the cop who is escorting the prisoner is not armed. Armed cops are present, but they are positioned at a distance from the prisoners to prevent exactly what happened in Atlanta.

[Athens]

Originally posted by malvolio:
Where I live, the cop who is escorting the prisoner is not armed. Armed cops are present, but they are positioned at a distance from the prisoners to prevent exactly what happened in Atlanta.

Same here

[CD Hanks]

Somehow, I don't think this guy is innocent.

[Athens]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
Somehow, I don't think this guy is innocent.

if he was he isn't any more. Who knows he could have been. If I was a black man in the US court system I would flee innocent or not just because of the track record of blacks being convicted 10 to 1 more often then white men. But in his case I think he was guilty.

[Cody Dawg]

Dead customs officer...another killing by this felon?

Looks like he may have struck again.

[driven]

(Responding from another thread so I don't take the other thread too far off topic)

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
I see you're in Atlanta, driven. How are things up there with respect to that killer on the loose? (I suppose you should respond in the appropriate thread about the killing.)

(I'll have to go find that thread ..... wasn't really looking for it.)

I'll post this again over there so I don't take this thread too far off ....

Short story: Yesterday was pretty hectic ... lot's of cops all over the place. I haven't been out today to see what's going on.

Over all it hasn't really affected me other than strange traffic patters yesterday and a lot of pulling over for police cars. (Marked and unmarked with flashing dashboard lights.)

I've been in that courthouse. (Got a ticket for doing 105 a few years back). I can't believe he got out of there. That place is a fortess and has a gazillion cops in it. I'm just wondering where they all were at 9AM????

[driven]

Originally posted by malvolio:
Okay, but a felony suspect? Wasn't he in cuffs or shackles?

No. They are afraid that it might make him look bad in front of the jury.

Political correctness strikes again.

[driven]

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
*****, i would have hid a shank in my ass and shivved them

Shanks don't kill people. I kill people.

They confiscated 2 shankes from him the day before.

[OldManMac]

Thankfully, his run for freedom was brief.

[Cody Dawg]

Yeah, it's good he's caught.

But, apparently he killed a customs officer to get his gun.

Now he's at the FBI field office and is in FBI custody because of the amount and nature of the killings, including a judge.

Does GA have the death penalty?

If not, perhaps the federal government will charge him and try to have him tried for the death penalty under a federal crime? Killing a federal customs officer may make him eligible, I would suppose.

He apparently had a woman hostage and then decided to give himself up.

I also heard how he was found with the two homemade knives/shanks after court the day before yesterday - that guy should have been in both ankle and wrist shackles.

Amazing that he was able to do this.

[driven]

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
Yeah, it's good he's caught.

But, apparently he killed a customs officer to get his gun.

Now he's at the FBI field office and is in FBI custody because of the amount and nature of the killings, including a judge.

Does GA have the death penalty?

If not, perhaps the federal government will charge him and try to have him tried for the death penalty under a federal crime?

He apparently had a woman hostage and then decided to give himself up.

I also heard how he was found with the two homemade knives/shanks after court the day before yesterday - that guy should have been in both ankle and wrist shackles.

Amazing that he was able to do this.

Yes .... Georgia has the death penalty. Even more to the point, we actually USE it.

I think the old southern expression " He needs killin' " applies here.

I'm actually not a proponent of the death penalty. However in this case ... I'm REALLY glad we have it.

I'd like to know where they caught him. They said a "northern suburb". <gasp> I live in a northern suburb!!!!" WHICH ONE????

[bubblewrap]

All the liberals will flock out to save him.
He was facing a life sentence. Without the death penalty. That's all he would get. Kinda a 2 for 1 sale for perps.

Even better he has the chance to yet kill again. And I bet his lawyers, who described him as a loving caring person, wants him unshackled in court again.
Why deny his RIGHT to create more victims.

(Oh, I live near Canton)

[OldManMac]

I have an idea; why don't you try to have a discussion on something without politicizing it. Of course, you may not realizae that there are liberals and conservatives who are on both sides of the death penalty issue, but that wouldn't surprise me.

[driven]

Originally posted by KarlG:
I have an idea; why don't you try to have a discussion on something without politicizing it. Of course, you may not realizae that there are liberals and conservatives who are on both sides of the death penalty issue, but that wouldn't surprise me.

There is a certain amount of politicizing that *should* go on.

For the record: I'm a conservative that's generally against the death penalty ... this case being the exception.

I do however take exception to not-shackling a criminal in court because of his appearance to the jury. This was a guy that raped and sodomized his fiance (now ex-girlfriend) for three days straight in her home. (He let her go on her birthday). She was literally a prisoner for 3 days. The day before he came to court with two weapons. Hello??? We are worried about what he looks like? This is (quite seriously) political correctness gone bad.

That should be discussed .... if we don't learn from this then we deserve what happened.

[Cody Dawg]

"If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking." Lyndon B. Johnson

You're right, driven.

Political thinking is a part of the social-minded citizen.



Now, about the death penalty, I used to be for it. Now, I'm not.

Took me a long time to get to that point, but I think torture and suffering until death naturally occurs is even better.

[driven]

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
You're right, driven.

Political thinking is a part of the social-minded citizen.



Now, about the death penalty, I used to be for it. Now, I'm not.

Took me a long time to get to that point, but I think torture and suffering until death naturally occurs is even better.

Cody ... I agree with you on the death penalty. I was for it also and I've evolved to the point.

What moved me was the DNA tests that freed a few folks on death row. If we wrongly kill one person then it's not worth it.

For those that deserve it ... a life time of suffering generally is better.

And .... it's usually cheaper to keep them in jail for life ... thanks to our appeals system. (Which I wouldn't change considering the stakes.)

This guy? I wish a cop shot him at the scene. It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

[Cody Dawg]

Although...I can see how people would want someone to die for killing or maiming or torturing a loved one...especially a child.

Like the sickos that hurt little children and babies.

If someone ever hurt someone in my family there is no place that a person could hide where I wouldn't pay to have him found...and retribution made...

Let's just say that one of my best friends has a husband who is part of a particular Italian group that takes revenge very seriously.

[d4nth3m4n]

[Cody Dawg]

d4nth3m4n: Does that hurt?



Seriously, I don't believe in the death penalty anymore, really.

But, I do think prisons should be tougher, leaner, and meaner. Like no television, no air conditioning, no basketball, NO FUN...AT ALL.

[OldManMac]

Originally posted by driven:
There is a certain amount of politicizing that *should* go on.

For the record: I'm a conservative that's generally against the death penalty ... this case being the exception.

I do however take exception to not-shackling a criminal in court because of his appearance to the jury. This was a guy that raped and sodomized his fiance (now ex-girlfriend) for three days straight in her home. (He let her go on her birthday). She was literally a prisoner for 3 days. The day before he came to court with two weapons. Hello??? We are worried about what he looks like? This is (quite seriously) political correctness gone bad.

That should be discussed .... if we don't learn from this then we deserve what happened.

I didn't say it shouldn't be discussed. I implied that it doesn't have to be "liberal vs. conservative," because in the context that bubblewrap presented his argument, there was nothing but an attack on those he views as "liberals," and that was the main point of his thrust; it had nothing to do with discussing the issue. His post was merely meant as an inflammatory attack on those whose political viewpoints he disagrees with, and whose viewpoints he would probably love to squelch.

Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and often have some views that would be considered "liberal" and some that would be viewed as "conservative." These forums just seem to be a place where some feel free to attack others with whom they disagree, and a convenient way of attacking them is to blanketly label them, because it takes more work and energy to find out what people really stand for, and that's not something a lot of people want to do; the easy way out is usually more convenient.

For the record, I'm a progressive, who is against the death penaly in every instance. Killing, whether it's done by the state or a citizen, is wrong, and making a judgement as to killing someone, based on how many people have been murdered by that individual, does nothing but show the citizens that there is a sliding scale of justice, which effectively says that killing one person is not as severe as killing more. It effectively assigns a point value to human life, and that's wrong. If it's wrong to take one life, it doesn't become any more wrong to take more lives, as the ultimate act has already been committed.

[driven]

Originally posted by KarlG:
I didn't say it shouldn't be discussed. I implied that it doesn't have to be "liberal vs. conservative," because in the context that bubblewrap presented his argument, there was nothing but an attack on those he views as "liberals," and that was the main point of his thrust; it had nothing to do with discussing the issue. His post was merely meant as an inflammatory attack on those whose political viewpoints he disagrees with, and whose viewpoints he would probably love to squelch.

Well ... most folks would fall closer to one side of the political scale or the other. So using the term conservative and liberal is usually valid. Quite obviously there are shades of gray in everyone's points of view, and that usually doesn't need to be pointed out as common sense dictates it to be so.

I believe (and I may be wrong) that he was using the term "liberal" in the context of this particular argument, mainly being how we treat prisoners. In this case, we obviously traded the safety of the citizens of Atlanta for the ability to present this suspect in a more positive light. So the liberal argument would be that this was the correct approach, whereas the conservative argument would be this was a faulty approach.

There is something wrong with attacking people. However, there is *nothing* wrong with attacking ideas! That's what spawns discussion. You see this in every single political debate. If someone takes this as a personal attack, it usually means that they are being too sensitive or emotional about their idea. Step back, form a logical thought and defend your idea ... after you consider the counterpoint. By saying "he's attacking me because he called me a liberal" deflects the argument, and often fails to present an opposing viewpoint.

Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and often have some views that would be considered "liberal" and some that would be viewed as "conservative." These forums just seem to be a place where some feel free to attack others with whom they disagree, and a convenient way of attacking them is to blanketly label them, because it takes more work and energy to find out what people really stand for, and that's not something a lot of people want to do; the easy way out is usually more convenient.

See above. I think I covered that in my previous rant.

For the record, I'm a progressive, who is against the death penaly in every instance. Killing, whether it's done by the state or a citizen, is wrong, and making a judgement as to killing someone, based on how many people have been murdered by that individual, does nothing but show the citizens that there is a sliding scale of justice, which effectively says that killing one person is not as severe as killing more. It effectively assigns a point value to human life, and that's wrong. If it's wrong to take one life, it doesn't become any more wrong to take more lives, as the ultimate act has already been committed.

Kinda funny ... I see many liberals now calling themselves progressives. (Even in our national government.) It's really a shade of gray difference. Kind of like the Republican / Libertarian difference. Many similarities, just a little bit further down the right or the left of the scale.

Sliding scale of justice? Hmm ... now THERE is something worth discussing further!

[bubblewrap]

Originally posted by KarlG:
I didn't say it shouldn't be discussed. I implied that it doesn't have to be "liberal vs. conservative," because in the context that bubblewrap presented his argument, there was nothing but an attack on those he views as "liberals," and that was the main point of his thrust; it had nothing to do with discussing the issue. His post was merely meant as an inflammatory attack on those whose political viewpoints he disagrees with, and whose viewpoints he would probably love to squelch.

Go to hell.
You don't know **** about my views.

[Athens]

Originally posted by bubblewrap:
Go to hell.
You don't know **** about my views.

some one has a soft spot?

[d4nth3m4n]

someone's been having a pretty rough run lately.

[Cody Dawg]

Who?

Why is this discussion deteriorating? I can't spell because I had a bottle of wine to drink (or about half a bottle of wine.)

Weesh shuld all love eashothers.

[OldManMac]

Originally posted by bubblewrap:
Go to hell.
You don't know **** about my views.

I love you too, poopsy.

Tell me honestly that your statement, "All the liberals will flock out to save him," wasn't an attack on liberals. Your views, and intentions, are quite obvious.

[bubblewrap]

That's what you read into it.
You took a personal jab at me.
I did not mention you personally, now did I?
I will not lower myself to your level of personal jabs.




Now the "right to lifers" would have this man serve a life sentence, offering him the chance to kill again? Say one of the tens of thousands of innocent inmates. But he'd still only serve a life sentence. And if he escaped and killed again(which does happen) what then, tack on another life sentence?

[Cody Dawg]

I agree that this conversation is turning into a liberal vs. conservative bash.

And I don't think that liberals will try to defend this guy, no.

He made his own bed and that's the end of it.