Venue key to Nichols' defense

ATLANTA, March 21 (UPI) -- The exceptional public spotlight on suspect Brian Nichols' Atlanta courthouse shooting rampage may complicate efforts to find an impartial jury in the state.

"Everybody in the whole United States knows about this case and knows he's the guy," Southern Center for Human Rights Director Stephen Bright told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The whole country has been fixated on this case the past few days. It's not like the publicity can be escaped by going somewhere else in Georgia or, even if it were possible, somewhere else in the country."

Public defenders Chris Adams and Gary Parker, who currently represent Nichols on the rape and kidnapping charges he faced before allegedly killing the presiding judge and escaping custody, met with their client Tuesday and are expected to represent him on various murder, carjacking and assault charges expected to be filed within the next month.