Vol. 6, No. 1338 - The American Reporter - May 24, 2000 JAIL IN TURMOIL OVER NICHOLS' HAIR by Bill Johnson American Reporter Correspondent Oklahoma City, Okla. OKLAHOMA CITY -- There's a hair-raising problem concerning convicted bombing conspirator Terry Nichols that is causing some fallout at the Oklahoma County Jail. Everyone agrees the 45-year-old Nichols needs a haircut. But they part over who should do the cutting. Nichols, citing concerns about his safety, wants his hair cut by the wife of his lead attorney. County officials say that other inmates either hire a barber to cut their hair or let another inmate give them a trim with electric clippers and they don't want make an exception with Nichols. Nichols, who is serving a life term for conspiracy in the federal building bombing, and his attorneys took the matter to court. The judge said it would be fine for the attorney's wife to give Nichols a trim. "It's not going to happen," vowed Russell Dear, the jail administrator. "It sets a precedent." Sheriff John Whetsel said he is going to talk to county prosecutors about appealing the decision. "You start granting exceptions to one, then you have to give them for all," Whetsel said. Nichols, a former farmer from Herington, Kan., was convicted by a federal jury in Denver of helping plan the April 19, 1995, bombing that killed 165 people and injured more than 500 others and of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of eight federal special agents. He was brought to Oklahoma City on Jan. 31 to face state first-degree murder charges. According to jail records, Nichols has not had a haircut since his arrival. Brian Hermanson of Ponca City, Nichols' lead attorney, said his wife is not a licensed barber but is experienced at cutting hair. "She has cut my hair for 20 years, and my family's. I trust her with the scissors near my client more than I would trust anyone else," Hermanson said. It's the possibility of having a stranger armed with scissors near Nichols that has defense attorneys concerned. And they don't want Nichols to end up with a buzz cut given by another inmate wielding electric clippers. "We think a buzz cut would look bad," W. Creekmire Wallace II argued before Payne County Associate District Court Judge Robert M. Murphy Jr., who was appointed to the Nichols case. Murphy ruled that Nichols could have his hair cut by his attorney's wife, or by a licensed barber at state expense. "The defendant is a pretrial detainee and the law presumes him innocent and this includes the right for him to have the appearance of innocence," Murphy ruled. Prosecutors had opposed the hair-cutting request on the ground that Nichols should not receive any special treatment. "If this court treats Mr. Nichols different, then every other defendant up there is going to think they are entitled to have their mother or their sister or brother come in and cut their hair," said Assistant District Attorney Sandra Elliott. The haircut plea isn't the only special request that Nichols has made. When he was in federal custody, his lawyers said he required the fiber from whole wheat bread because of a medical condition. At another point, Nichols complained that he was not allowed to buy garlic and popcorn from the prison commissary. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html <A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
