Fulton DA testifies in Nichols hearing

During a hearing today to determine what evidence will be admitted in the high-profile (and high-cost) Brian Nichols trial, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard took the stand to defend one of his former prosecutors, according to a story posted on AJC.com.

Former assistant district attorney Gayle Abramson, who'd been prosecuting Nichols on a violent rape charge when he went on a homicidal shooting rampage at the Fulton County courthouse, was accused by Nichols' defense of "prosecutorial misconduct." The defense pointed to claims made by a murder suspect in an unrelated case, who was caught on a wiretap accusing Abramson of using drugs in the past.

For some reason, Nichols' attorneys are arguing that the drug allegations against Abramson render their client ineligible for the death penalty. Yeah, right.

According to the AJC.com story, Howard called the accusations a waste of time:

“I just think it is extremely reaching. I just don’t see what the connection is. ... The information on that wiretap was fake; it was phony; it was fabricated, so I didn’t really give any credit to what it said.”