Courthouse cleared after prisoners riot

(Jay-AP) -- Prisoners at the Delaware County courthouse rioted and tried to burn down the jail after their television and Twinkies privileges were taken away.

The courthouse had to be cleared.

Sheriff's investigator Mike Wilkerson says 12 prisoners were angered including some who started a riot in the jail last month.

The courthouse was briefly evacuated just after 1 p-m when jurors were returning for the murder trial of Jerry Childers.

Childers is accused of killing his stepmother, Pat Childers.

Wilkerson says prisoners had staged an uprising earlier yesterday, and Childers began running his cup across the cell bars and stirred up the prisoners again.

He says Childers may be charged with inciting a riot and with assault and battery on a police officer for threatening one of the jailers.