Courtroom security issues were the focus of the 3rd day of pre-trial hearings for capital murder suspects Richard Scott Harper and Michelle Reynolds. Another topic of interest was the November 22 jail incident where Harper was repeatedly shot with a pepper gun.

Motions on courthouse security and jail conditions were debated in a public courtroom after secret hearings were held Thursday morning.

Floyd County Sheriff, Tim Burkhalter and Commander of Jail Operations, Tony Daniel testified that Harper’s cell block was denied weekend visitation the night before Thanksgiving after some inmates refused to go to their cells for lockdown and used profanity toward deputies.

Harper was fired upon with the pepper spray after protesting not being able to see his daughter.

Although it wasn’t caught on video, the deputy in charge witnessed the incident and testified that the officer’s reaction was reasonable.

Motions were presented by the defense for both parties in an attempt to stop what they consider prejudicial security measures and the use of the Remotely Activated Custody Control Belt in the courtroom during the trial.

Burkhalter opposed the request by Harper to have deputies in civilian clothes while in the courtroom. Harper asserted that heavy security may suggest defendants are dangerous and easily presumed guilty.

Burkhalter stated he’d prefer 3 deputies in the courtroom and that a police officer in regular clothes doesn’t mean as much as a uniformed officer to someone who is acting up.

Defense attorney’s opposed having the stun belts, similar to a Taser, on their clients at trial stating the device is unsafe. Major Warren Millsap of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Department who trains officers on using these devices said that similar Taser cases are often thrown out and that he has never heard of someone being hurt by one. Sheriff Tim Burkhalter and Tony Daniel also agreed.