Atlanta Courthouse Shooting Trial

ATLANTA (AP) - Opening arguments are scheduled to begin in the
trial of a man accused of killing four people in a 2005 shooting
rampage that started in a downtown Atlanta courthouse.
Brian Nichols has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Nichols' defense team has conceded he killed a judge, court
reporter, sheriff's deputy and a federal agent. But they say he
didn't know right from wrong.
The trial has faced delays and complications. Prosecutors have
tallied a taxpayer bill of nearly $2 million, and a previous judge
stepped down.
Prosecutors say Nichols was being escorted to a courtroom for a
rape trial in the Fulton County Courthouse when he beat a deputy
guarding him, stole her gun and went on a shooting spree.
The trial could last for several months.