Officer's sister-in-law allowed to defend Niles

Niles, 24, who is charged with first degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 26-year-old Laura Parker, is due back in Bedford County General Sessions Court on March 9.

Niles did not appear in court on Tuesday.

According to Nashville attorney Mickie Daugherty, she has been cleared to represent Niles after a written advisory opinion from the Board of Professional Responsibility for the Supreme Court of Tennessee was received. He had been previously represented by the public defender's office.

Niles' family had hired Daugherty to represent him last month, but concerns about a possible conflict of interest arose.

Daugherty's sister is married to Sgt. James Wilkerson of the Shelbyville Police Department -- one of the officers who pulled Niles over five minutes after the shooting took place.

General Session Court Judge Charles Rich said last month that all conflicts of interest can be waived and that he wanted to make sure everything "is done in the right way" in Niles' case.

Assistant district attorney Richard Cawley had also expressed reservations, saying that his office has to look out for the rights of defendants as well and that they had concerns about the possibility of Daugherty having to cross-examine a member of her family.

Last month, Niles had signed a waiver for Daugherty to be substituted as his lawyer, but Rich wanted to see a written advisory opinion from the board before granting the request to substitute attorneys.

Niles was arrested no more that five minutes after gunshots were reported at Forest Hills Apartments on Neeley Avenue around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, where the body of Parker was discovered lying in a pool of blood near her car, approximately 10 feet from the front door of her apartment.

Niles' car, a white Nissan Sentra, matched the description of a vehicle seen leaving the apartment complex, and he was pulled over by Shelbyville police officers Lt. Jason Williams and Wilkerson, who discovered a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Niles' possession.

Shelbyville Detective Brian Crews said last month that Niles stated he had a firearm, but that officers had no idea at the time he was the suspect in the murder.

Crews said that Niles claimed that he and his wife "had been into it and he went into the country to fire some shots off." However, when officers began questioning him, Niles invoked his right to an attorney.

Crews explained that Niles is married to another woman, and has never been married to Parker.

There is also no record of any domestic violence calls involving Niles and Parker, Crews said.