ATLANTA – A judge ordered the military Friday to turn over the records of a man accused of killing four people in a shooting rampage that began in a courthouse.
Along with Brian Nichols’ Army Reserve service records, Georgia Superior Court Judge Hilton Fuller Jr. ordered the military to provide a definition of the term “situational anxiety.”
The disclosure in a court filing could provide insight into Nichols’ planned mental health defense.
Nichols, 35, was being escorted to a courtroom in the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta for his retrial on rape charges on March 11, 2005, when authorities say he beat a deputy, stole her gun and went on a deadly rampage.
Jury selection in Nichols’ murder trial in the deaths of a judge, court reporter, sheriff’s deputy and federal agent began Jan. 11. Individual questioning of potential jurors starts Feb. 26. Opening statements are not expected until April or May.
Nichols’ attorneys have not elaborated on their planned mental health defense, which they disclosed in an earlier motion. According to court records, Nichols has been seeking court assistance in getting funding to hire mental health experts as part of their case.
Nichols’ father, Gene, said in an interview Friday that the issue is a reasonable one to pursue.
“If a mental condition brought about these things, those things are necessary to be considered,” Gene Nichols said.
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