ATLANTA (AP) - The judge hearing the case against courthouse gunman Brian Nichols chided prosecutors for mishandling evidence of
a threatening phone call, but he denied a defense motion which urged him to declare the case a mistrial.

The defense attorneys urged the judge Thursday to declare the sentencing phase a mistrial on grounds that they were not provided
a transcript of a call in which Nichols appears to threaten the life of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard before the transcript was introduced.

Superior Court Judge James Bodiford took a 20-minute recess
before deciding against declaring the case a mistrial. He instead
said he was ``disappointed'' in state prosecutors, but he found the
mistake a ``technical violation'' that did not require a mistrial ruling.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)