Douglas County teacher accused of sex with students pleads not guilty to new charges, remains in custody
A former Douglas County teacher accused of having sex with multiple students will remain in custody until August as her attorneys attempt to file motions to get her bond.
In a series of motions filed on Tuesday, attorneys for Maris Nichols said the former Alexander High School biology teacher has entered a plea of not guilty to the new felony charges she was facing following a recent indictment by a Douglas County grand jury.
The indictment accused Nichols of propositioning or having sex with six minor students. At least three counts in the indictment accuse the former teacher of recording a video with one of her victims. While some of the offenses are not dated, the jury document says they occurred between Jan. 1 and May 5.
The indictment led to Nichols' third arrest as part of the investigation into the allegations against her. She had previously been arrested on May 8 and May 20, and was facing 13 charges.
While Nichols had been released on bond, she has remained in custody since turning herself in on the new charges on June 25.
Prosecutors have attempted to get Nichols' bond revoked, arguing that she had violated her bond 85 times during a 27-day period, including going to retail stores, fast-food restaurants, and other places that were not part of her approved activities. In the new motion, her defense says that the former teacher has never been a bail risk and will not flee.
After waiving a court appearance earlier this week, Nichols is expected to appear before a judge on the morning of Aug. 10 for a new bond hearing.
Defense challenges prosecution's evidence
The attorneys representing Nichols have also filed preliminary motions in an effort to suppress some of her statements made to law enforcement.
In their motion, the attorneys argue that statements "were made in the absence of counsel and without an intelligent or knowing waiver of counsel" and "were not voluntary."
Nichols' defense has asked to review multiple items from the prosecution, including those allegedly seized without a warrant, as well as evidence about the investigation or about possible witnesses that could help them during a future trial.
Judge orders alleged victims' identities be removed
Along with the motions, Superior Court Judge Lauren Wallace ordered the Douglas County Clerk's Office to redact copies of the warrants and other documents to remove identifying information about any alleged victims.
The judge found that the significant attention on the case and the fact that the alleged victims are minors were enough to require the restrictions on the public.
"Given the concern for the privacy interests of the alleged victims in this case, this Court finds that the potential harm to the privacy of the alleged victim minors outweighs the public's interest in accessing unredacted copies of these documents," Wallace wrote.
The order does allow Nichols' defense to get an unredacted copy of any report.
