June 2 -- Accused serial bomber Eric Robert Rudolph will stand trial first on charges he set off an explosion at a Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic in 1998, before facing charges in the fatal bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
After an initial court appearance in Asheville, N.C., Rudolph was put on a government plane today and flown to Alabama, where he was taken to the county jail in Birmingham.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said federal prosecutors planned to have Rudolph tried initially in Birmingham, where there was an eyewitness.
"We expect that trial to be relatively short and straightforward," Ashcroft said in a written statement. "When that trial is completed, Rudolph will be transferred to the Northern District of Georgia to face the more complicated trial involving three bombings there."
Added Ashcroft: "Our approach is designed to provide the best opportunity to bring justice to all of the victims of the bombings, and to each community that experienced these terrorist attacks."
Rudolph, 36, faces a total of 23 counts related to four separate bombings. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Besides the Olympic and Birmingham bombings, Rudolph is accused in 1997 blasts in Atlanta outside a gay nightclub and an office building that housed an abortion clinic. In all, two people were killed and about 150 injured in the four attacks.
‘Yes, Your Honor’
Wearing leg shackles, an orange jail jumpsuit and a blue flak vest, Rudolph sat listening intently throughout the 15 minutes it took Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Rose to read the charges against him. He turned frequently to talk to his court-appointed attorney, Sean Devereaux.
Rudolph did not challenge his identity, a move that could have forced prosecutors to prove he is the man they say he is. When U.S. District Court Judge Lacy Thornburg asked him if he understood he was waiving his right to an extradition hearing, Rudolph spoke the only words he said aloud during the 35-minute hearing.
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