Fulton County Courthouse (Georgia)
Encyclopedia
The Fulton County Courthouse, built between 1911 and 1914, is an historic courthouse
building located at 160 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta
, Georgia
, the Fulton
county seat
. It was designed by noted Atlanta-based architect
A. Ten Eyck Brown
(1878–1940), along with the Atlanta firm of Morgan and Dillon. It is officially the Lewis B. Slaton Courthouse.
On September 18, 1980, the original building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. An annex across the street is connected via skywalk. Both are located in the South Downtown
.
In March 2006, Brian Nichols
escape
d from a sheriff
's deputy at the courthouse, causing her brain damage
, and then killing
the judge
in his rape
trial
, a court reporter
, and another deputy, and later a man at another location, before kidnapping
and holding a woman hostage
. He was found guilty of all 54 counts
against him at his trial, which was moved to
Atlanta Municipal Court to avoid the crime scene
where most of the killing spree occurred.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
building located at 160 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, the Fulton
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. It was designed by noted Atlanta-based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
A. Ten Eyck Brown
A. Ten Eyck Brown
Albert Anthony Ten Eyck Brown was an architect active in Atlanta, Georgia and other areas. Brown was born in 1878 in Albany, New York. He studied at the Academy of Design in New York.His works include:* St...
(1878–1940), along with the Atlanta firm of Morgan and Dillon. It is officially the Lewis B. Slaton Courthouse.
On September 18, 1980, the original building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. An annex across the street is connected via skywalk. Both are located in the South Downtown
South Downtown
South Downtown is an urban sub-district of Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States, north of I-20, east of Castleberry Hill, south of Five Points, and west of I-85. According to CAP/ADID, South Downtown is one of the oldest sections of Downtown Atlanta...
.
In March 2006, Brian Nichols
Brian Nichols
Brian Gene Nichols is known for his escape and killing spree in the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia on March 11, 2005. Nichols was on trial for rape when he escaped from custody and murdered the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter, a Sheriff's Deputy and later a Federal...
escape
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
d from a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
's deputy at the courthouse, causing her brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
, and then killing
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in his rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
, a court reporter
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
, and another deputy, and later a man at another location, before kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and holding a woman hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
. He was found guilty of all 54 counts
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
against him at his trial, which was moved to
Change of venue
A change of venue is the legal term for moving a trial to a new location. In high-profile matters, a change of venue may occur to move a jury trial away from a location where a fair and impartial jury may not be possible due to widespread publicity about a crime and/or its defendant to another...
Atlanta Municipal Court to avoid the crime scene
Crime scene
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
where most of the killing spree occurred.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, GeorgiaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, GeorgiaThis is a list of properties and districts in Fulton County, Georgia that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It covers most of the NRHP properties in Atlanta, Georgia; other Atlanta listings are covered in National Register of Historic Places listings in DeKalb County,...
- Fulton County Courthouse
External links