Two jurors weighing Nichols sentence dismissed; judge warns others about talking to outsiders

Tuesday, June 1st 2004, 5:31 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Two members of the jury considering sentencing for Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols were dismissed by the judge Wednesday and were replaced by the last two remaining alternate jurors.

Judge Steven Taylor did not explain what the two jurors did wrong, but he strongly told the rest of the panel not to discuss the case outside of regular jury deliberations.

``Do not discuss sentencing,'' Taylor said following a one-hour closed meeting with prosecution and defense attorneys. ``Do not allow anyone to discuss it with you.''

One of the jurors dismissed Wednesday was the jury foreman.

Nichols was convicted last week of 161 first-degree murder charges in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Now, the jury is considering whether he should be executed or given a sentence of life in prison.

The trial began with 12 jurors and six alternates, but prior to the opening of testimony, three jurors were excused because they were distant relatives to a member of the prosecutor's staff. A fourth juror was excused last month after he had a heart attack.

More testimony was expected Wednesday in the sentencing phase. It began Tuesday, when more than two dozen witnesses testified about loved ones they lost in the Oklahoma City bombing as prosecutors argued that Nichols should be put to death for his part in the attack.

The defense urged jurors to consider all sentencing options in the case, including life in prison.

Nichols is already serving life in prison on federal bombing charges for the deaths of eight federal agents in the April 19, 1995 bombing, which killed 168 people. Oklahoma prosecutors brought the state murder charges for the other 160 people who died and one fetus whose mother was killed in the explosion. They hope to win a death sentence.