Jamie Hood, charged with killing an Athens-Clarke County police officer last year, said in court Monday that he thinks the presiding judge can't be impartial and should step down.
The Athens Banner-Herald reported Hood's request for a new judge came at the beginning of what was supposed to be three days of pretrial motions being heard by Lawton Stephens, chief judge of the Western Judicial Circuit.
The paper reported that Hood began ranting at the beginning of the hearing that his constitutional right to a fair trial had been violated, then told Stephens that he felt he was "really too close" to Athens-Clarke County Police Senior Police Officer Tony Howard, who was seriously wounded in the March 22, 2011, incident in which Hood allegedly shot and killed SPO Elmer "Buddy" Christian."
"I feel you've got to go, judge," Hood told Stephens, according to the Banner-Herald.
The paper reported on its website that the judge told Hood's attorneys that they had until 5 p.m. Monday to submit a written motion with an affidavit from Hood explaining why he should recuse himself from the case.
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