NICHOLS' legal bills total $10,616 since FBI's disclosure it withheld evidence

DENVER (AP) _ The federal government has paid Terry Nichols' defense lawyers $10,616 in fees and expenses since the FBI revealed it withheld some documents in the Oklahoma City bombings. <br><br>U.S.

Friday, July 27th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DENVER (AP) _ The federal government has paid Terry Nichols' defense lawyers $10,616 in fees and expenses since the FBI revealed it withheld some documents in the Oklahoma City bombings.

U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch released the amount Thursday, saying $8,550 was for legal work and the rest was for expenses.

Matsch, who presided over Nichols' federal trial, rejected a request from USA Today to release vouchers the lawyers submitted. He said that would violate Nichols' legal protections during appeals based on the FBI's failure to turn over the documents.

The FBI disclosed on May 8 it had withheld nearly 4,500 pages from lawyers for Nichols and Timothy McVeigh.

Nichols, 46, was convicted on federal charges of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter in the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City. The explosion killed 168 people.

Nichols faces state murder charges in Oklahoma.

McVeigh, 33, was convicted of murder, conspiracy and mass weapons charges and was executed in June. Matsch released figures last week showing McVeigh's lawyers billed the government more than $147,000 for legal work in the last four months of his life.

The government paid $13.8 million for McVeigh's defense during his trial and sentencing.