Declaring his own courtroom "as far from a circus-like atmosphere as you could ever see," Superior Court Judge James Bodiford on Thursday ruled the press could continue to cover jury pool selection in the Brian Nichols murder trial.

Nichols' defense team made a motion to curb coverage because, they argued, the coverage was "saturating the jury pool with prejudicial and inflammatory reporting" by quoting prospective jurors.

"I do not see that is improper in any way," said Bodiford during the 22-minute hearing late Thursday afternoon at Atlanta Municipal Court on the 18th day of jury selection to get a pool of 100 "qualified" jurors, from which twelve jurors and six alternates will be chosen to hear the case.

"I'm not going to comment on it [the coverage]. I don't think I can tell somebody you cannot write a summary. I can tell them they cannot talk to the jurors, and I have."

Defense attorneys complained last Saturday that Bodiford was wasting time being "courteous" to the media by allowing TV camera operators into the courtroom last Friday and Saturday for a few minutes.

Bodiford said Thursday he would uphold the ruling of the previous judge in the case, Hilton Fuller, and allow cameras into the courtroom after breaks, but would not allow them to film while prospective jurors are interviewed by lawyers and Bodiford.

"I'm not going to exclude the media, I'm simply going to stand on the honorable Judge Fuller's order regarding the media and access," said Bodiford. "And I think it has been working well."

Nichols is charged with the murder of Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and three others in a March 11, 2005 murder spree. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

One more juror was qualified Thursday, bring the total of qualified jurors to 49, out of 127 who have been interviewed. Jury pool selection continues Friday.