Nichols asks judge to keep current lawyer

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry<br>Nichols knows who he wants defending him in any state trial.<br> <br>He has filed an affidavit repeating his request that he be<br>defended

Friday, September 17th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry
Nichols knows who he wants defending him in any state trial.

He has filed an affidavit repeating his request that he be
defended by Ponca City attorney Brian Hermanson. Nichols
specifically asked that an Oklahoma City lawyer NOT be appointed
for fear of bias.

Payne County Associate District Judge Robert Murphy Junior will
decide who will defend Nichols. Nichols who faces 160 counts of
murder in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
Building. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Hermanson was appointed to defend Nichols by the Oklahoma
Indigent Defense System. But the contract was canceled when the
Legislature withdrew the money to pay for that defense.

Murphy has opted to hire private attorneys for Nichols and pay
their feeds from the state Judicial Fund. He says he has
interviewed several lawyers about taking the case -- including
Hermanson.

Hermanson has already spent more than 600 hours preparing a
defense.