Liability suits for negligent security in courthouse shooting deaths?
The Fulton County Daily Report published an article on April 19th, reporting that Judge Rowland Barnes' widow may sue for negligent courthouse security. Judge Barnes, along with his court reporter and a deputy sheriff, were killed on March 11th after Brian Nichols, defendant in a rape trial, overwhelmed a female deputy sheriff and took her gun.
Mrs. Barnes has retained the preeminent trial lawyer Tommy Malone. It was not immediately known if the family of BARNES’ court reporter, Julie A. Brandau, or the families of the other victims—Sgt. Hoyt K. Teasley and federal agent David Wilhelm—had retained counsel. Fulton County Attorney Overtis H. Brantley said Monday she had not received notice that someone intends to sue the county over the shootings. Malone said he still needs to examine the events of March 11 and determine what happened. “Our first job is investigation,” he said. “To separate rumor from fact.”
Please post your analysis of the legal issues involved in suing the county, the sheriff, or others in this situation.
Ken Shigley, Shigley Law Firm, LLC, Atlanta, GA
http://shigleylaw.com
http://atlantainjurylawyer.com
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