Channel 2’s Tom Jones was the only reporter in the courtroom during the ordeal.
Jones said the mother’s outburst seemed to startle the judge.
I hope you die in prison prison, you (expletive), Nichols said.
Nichols was escorted out of the courtroom, but Jones said you could still hear her screaming in the hallway.
She was angry that the judge sentenced 21-year-old Broderick Smith to life with parole, instead of life without.
Smith pleaded guilty to murdering Nichols’ 19-year-old son, Anthony Beavers, on a MARTA train in March of last year.
Prosecutors said Smith snatched Beavers’ smartphone and when Beavers tried to get it back, a witness described what Smith did next.
I seen the gun pointed to his head and he shot and he ran off, said witness Kewanna Siglow.
Prior to her outburst, Nichols described the pain her family felt after losing Anthony, who was in college studying to become a police officer.
March 17 should have never happened. Like any good officer, he died taking on an injustice, said Nichols.
Prosecutors sought a life sentence without parole, something the judge called unusual since the death penalty wasn’t on the table.
I don’t think it fits the circumstances, said Judge Wendy Shoob.
The judge said the only way she could give Smith life without parole was if the crime was outrageously vile or involved torture. That’s when she announced her decision, and Nichols exploded.
Smith will be eligible for parole after 30 years, plus five years on gun charges.
