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Jurors say they don’t want to live in fear
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bessie Warren, one of about 10 prospective State Court jurors who arrived at the Fulton County Courthouse shortly after 7 a.m. today, said she hopes not to be called to serve on a case but had no real fear.
Warren, a College Park homemaker, said she had no real anxiety entering the area near where three people were killed Friday. “I don’t want to live in fear,” she said. “Certainly I was appalled Friday, but if you think about bad things happening all the time, you’re just going to live in fear. I don’t want to do that.”
Warren said she was at a meeting of the World Changes Ministry when she learned about the killings. “I thought it was really terrible and naturally I was sad for the victims’ family and also for his (suspect Brian Nichols’) family. All you can do is pray,” she said.
Terry Laman, a technology salesman from Alpharetta, said he felt confident of his safety. “I’m not worried, not at all. Look, the guy had a motive, a trial wasn’t going his way and I figured he had the opportunity to do what he wanted to do.
Shaking his head he added, “It’s another sad chapter in Atlanta’s history.”
“This is probably the safest place to be this morning,” said Steve Floyd of Roswell, waiting in the Justice Center lobby with other prospective jurors. Was he serious about the justice complex being the safest place? “Today, yes. A year from now, maybe not. Who knows?” he responded.
Cheryl Vortice, a court clerk’s employee, said she had come into the Justice Center Saturday and felt discomforted by seeing signs still up from Friday that the building had been evacuated. “It made me feel strange seeing that,” she said.
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