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| S P E C I A L | The Terry Nichols Trial |
Oklahoma City residents await verdict in Nichols' trial
December 18, 1997
Nichols
Web posted at: 2:46 p.m. EST (1946 GMT)DENVER (CNN) -- Jurors in the second Oklahoma City bombing trial resumed deliberations for a third day Thursday as Oklahoma City residents anxiously awaited a verdict to put them on a course toward final recovery.
"I'm ready for it to be over," said Aren Almon Kok, whose infant daughter, Baylee, died in the April 1995 blast. "I think that will be a time for this city to heal."
The panel of seven women and five men are considering verdicts against Terry Nichols on 11 counts, including: conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and murder in the deaths of eight federal law enforcement officers, which carries the death penalty.
Unlike in the trial of Timothy McVeigh, the Nichols jury has the option of convicting Nichols on second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter, which are not death penalty offenses. McVeigh, with whom Nichols allegedly conspired for the attack, was convicted of the same 11 counts and sentenced to death.
The Nichols jury is scheduled to deliberate a full day on Thursday. The unsequestered panel deliberated for about two and a half hours on Tuesday and for a full day on Wednesday.
The prosecution Wednesday filed a sealed complaint against chief Nichols lawyer Michael Tigar for his emotional display as he completed the defense summation Tuesday, calling Nichols his brother and telling jurors, "he's in your hands."
Before the trial began, the defense had filed a similar complaint against prosecutor Patrick Ryan for showing emotion during the questioning of a victim in the McVeigh trial.
Also Wednesday, the panel made requests for a witness list and to review testimony about Nichols' activities at the time federal prosecutors claim McVeigh and Nichols were plotting the attack.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Matsch has repeatedly told the jurors they will not be allowed to review trial transcripts for witnesses' testimony during their deliberations. Matsch wants the panel to rely on its collective memory.
Legal analysts say there is no way to predict how long it will take jurors to reach a verdict. The panel listened to 190 witnesses during 27 days of testimony.
The McVeigh jury reached a verdict in three and a half days.
Baylee Almon's mother says a verdict in Nichols' trial will give the city closure.
"We've come a long way since the bombing, but I think a final end will be the best thing for us." Kok told CNN.
It's been 32 months since the April 19, 1995, bombing killed 168 people.
Correspondents Charles Zewe and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
T H E N I C H O L S T R I A L / T H E M c V E I G H T R I A L
T H E B O M B I N G / C N N S T O R I E S / L I N K S
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