The judge who appointed Titus Nichols of Augusta to be Reality Winner's lawyer has changed his mind—not about the lawyer but about who pays the bill.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Epps of the Southern District of Georgia has signed an order terminating his appointment of Nichols to represent Winner as court-appointed counsel.

The judge had met for the first time Monday with the 25-year-old government contractor charged with sharing a secret report on Russian interference in the American presidential election. Epps chose for her a criminal defense attorney who is also a judge advocate general in the U.S. Army and a former prosecutor. Nichols is an associate with the Bell & Brigham firm in Augusta, handling criminal defense and personal injury cases.