GUILTY FL - 17 killed in Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Parkland, 14 Feb 2018 *shooter Guilty, School officer NG* #5

[Marysmith]

https://twitter.com/cathyrusson

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570055837082845186

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570057107373961216

Wow!!!

 

[turaj]

Well I knew they could not possibly call all 80....but this was shocking. I think the last one was probably the best they had and decided to just stop. Also it is clear that every move the defense makes gets the judge more and more infuriated. They are really trying and disrespectful of the court...especially the lead that had the strong words with the judge.

 

[Marysmith]

Well I knew they could not possibly call all 80....but this was shocking. I think the last one was probably the best they had and decided to just stop. Also it is clear that every move the defense makes gets the judge more and more infuriated. They are really trying and disrespectful of the court...especially the lead that had the strong words with the judge.

It’s so contentious. Wow… I am looking forward to hearing Fred Guttenburg’s thoughts on it as he’s been there every day. He is Jamie Guttenburg’s father.

 

[Dotta]

This case is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking.
I am so sad for the victims and their families.

But, the more I read about the shooter's background, the more I realise he never got the chance for a normal life due to his mother's addictions.

He was "cursed" even before he was born.

If I was in Jury, I would vote against death penalty.

Don't some women realise that by drinking alcohol during pregnancy they condemn their children to life of suffering?

MOO

 

[SeesSeas]

'We're Not Playing Chess': Judge in Parkland School Shooting Case Lashes Out at 'Unprofessional' Defense Team for Suddenly Resting Case

Nikolas Cruz's defense rested its case on Wednesday, halfway through an 80-person witness list in the penalty phase of the mass murder trial.

lawandcrime.com

Admitted Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz‘s defense attorneys rested their case on Wednesday — halfway through an 80-person witness list in the penalty phase of a trial surrounding mass murder at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.

The apparently sudden turn of events aggravated Judge Elizabeth Scherer.

“We’re not playing chess,” the judge said.

 

[turaj]

This case is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking.
I am so sad for the victims and their families.

But, the more I read about the shooter's background, the more I realise he never got the chance for a normal life due to his mother's addictions.

He was "cursed" even before he was born.

If I was in Jury, I would vote against death penalty.

Don't some women realise that by drinking alcohol during pregnancy they condemn their children to life of suffering?

MOO

I don't think they have any chance of all of the jurors voting for death...no way. I am glad the defense made the move they did as it will move this along. The last defense witness was good and their point has been made...any more will just be too much of the same. Life is the correct sentence here from my viewpoint and yes that is too good for him but it will be a living hell for him.. Not sure what the state expects to accomplish with rebuttal. This jury may have been death qualified but when it really comes down to it I think it is pretty hard to make that decision.

 

[SeesSeas]

Details from 5 more defense witnesses:

MSN

Here are the witnesses the defense has called in an attempt to save Nikolas Cruz from a death sentence. His team is expected to call nearly 80 witnesses.
[...]

Witness #15 Clinical pharmacist Susan Skolly-Danzinger testifies about the medication history of Nikolas Cruz
Susan Skolly-Danziger, a clinical pharmacist, reviewed Cruz's medication history.

Cruz was first prescribed medication for his behavioral issues when he was 6, Skully said. She testified that he went through stretches — 13 months, at one point — without seeing a doctor.

Cruz was likely not on any medication about five months before the shootings in Parkland, she said.

Skully said Cruz is presently prescribed Olanzapine, which is used to treat people "with abnormal thought disorders" including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Witness #14 Counselor Jessica Clark Flournoy recalls 'insecure' Cruz feared others would see graded scores
Nikolas Cruz was so concerned what others thought about him that he refused to let anyone see his grades at Westglades Middle School, his former ESE counselor said Tuesday.

Clark Flournoy counseled Cruz for most of three years from 2011-2013. At first, Cruz "really tried" in the classroom, but it did not result in many successes.

Cruz eventually left Westglades Middle and was enrolled at Cross Creek, a Pompano Beach school for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.

Witness #13 Shameka Stanford: Speech and language expert says Cruz "could never really connect with anyone"
When Nikolas Cruz was nearly 11 years old, he spoke at a level between a 6 1/2-year old and an 8 1/2-year-old, according to an expert defense witness who testified for more than an hour.

Shameka Stanford, a speech and language pathologist who specializes in childhood disorders, reviewed Cruz's case history and interviewed the Parkland school shooter while determining that "there was a severe presence of language impairment, specifically with problem solving … "

The language problems put Cruz in a "bubble" of isolation because "he could never really connect with anyone," Stanford said.

Cruz did not start speaking until he was 2 — older than most children — and alcohol could have impacted his brain development, according to her testimony. Cruz's birth mother used crack cocaine and alcohol during her pregnancy, witnesses have said.

Witness #12 Finai Browd recalls tantrums and that Cruz was very attached to his adoptive mother
Lynda Cruz desperately wanted a child after enduring four miscarriages, according to a longtime friend who testified Monday.

"She really wanted to be a mom," said Finai Browd, who met Lynda Cruz in Long Island, New York.

That desire came true when Lynda and her husband, Roger, adopted Nikolas. But by the time the boy was 4, Browd said she knew something was wrong.

"He would have tantrums if he didn't get his way," said Browd, whose testimony was videotaped in July and shown to jurors on Monday. "Kids have tantrums, but not to that extent."

Witness #11 Lynn Rodriguez says Cruz was "very quiet, aloof"
Lynn Rodriguez, who served as Nikolas Cruz's Exceptional Student Education teacher in the third and fourth grades, remembers the Parkland gunman boy as "very quiet, aloof. He did not blend well with other students."

Rodriguez was the first witness Monday as Cruz's defense team began its second week presenting its case.

Even though he was smaller than the other students, Rodriguez said Cruz could become aggressive. She remembers him "ripping up other students' work or projects."

Sharing his things made Cruz "upset," she said.

In the fourth grade, Cruz "could be very disruptive" when he became angry.

Academically, she said, Cruz was already far behind. Rodriguez said Cruz scored 1 on a 1-5 scale on the FCAT as a third- and fourth-grader.

Details from more witnesses:

Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Defense calls less than 30 witnesses to build case for life sentence

Nikolas Cruz's defense team had planned to call 80 witnesses for their client. In the end, they called less than 30 before abruptly resting their case.

news.yahoo.com

September 14, 2022

Witness #23 Dr. Kenneth Jones, Mother's substance abuse and poor prenatal care hurt Cruz in the womb​

Cruz’s team of public defenders called on Dr. Kenneth Jones last year to assess whether the Parkland shooter has alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, or ARND.

Jones testified Tuesday that Cruz meets the cognitive criteria for such a diagnosis “without any question,” pointing to his impaired executive function, memory and visual spatial processing. [...]

The doctor told jurors that it doesn't take a lot of alcohol to cause problems in the womb. Six drinks over two sittings could do it, he said, and Cruz's late biological mother, Brenda Woodard, was known to abuse beer, wine and crack cocaine regularly throughout the beginning of her pregnancy.

"I have never seen so much alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman," Jones said. [...]

Witness #22 Neuropsychologist Paul Conner describes effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder on Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz​

Paul Connor, a Washington-based neuropsychologist, returned to the witness stand Tuesday to testify about the effects of Brenda Woodard's alcohol abuse on Cruz.

Connor told jurors Monday that the gunman suffered brain damage as a result of his birth mother's substance abuse, and that his full-scale intelligence quotient, or IQ, is an 83. The average person has an IQ of 100, and someone with fetal alcohol syndrome averages a 90 IQ. [...]

Witness #21 Social Worker Linda Pardo-Posse, Lynda Cruz told social worker 'something is very wrong' with Nikolas Cruz​

Lillian Pardo-Posse, a former social worker for Broward County Schools, read aloud an interview she conducted with Cruz's adoptive mother in 2013 to assess her eldest son's strengths and weaknesses.

"Nik is a loving kid," Lynda Cruz told her.

He was a gentle soul, she said, caring, affectionate, interested in animals and obsessed with Xbox. But he also had trouble reading, expressing himself and interacting with children. He couldn't control his temper. [...]

Witness #20 Jeffrey Smith, former Broward deputy, describes outbursts at Cruz home​

Jeffrey Smith, a former deputy with the Broward County Sheriff's Office, said he responded to incidents at the Cruz residence up to five times in the years leading up to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — often for Cruz's younger brother, Zachary. [...]

Witness #19 Social Worker Tiffany Forrest: 'Quite a bit of dysfunction' in Cruz home​

A social worker testified Friday that she once saw Zachary Cruz get on a table top at his Parkland home and step on food being eaten by Nikolas, his older younger brother.

"You could see there was quite a bit of dysfunction" in the home, said Tiffany Forrest, who was Nikolas Cruz's youth case manager in 2013. [...]

Witness #19 John Vesey, former principal at Westglades Middle School​

By the end of the first quarter of his eighth grade year at Westglades Middle School, Nikolas Cruz had a cumulative 0.416 grade point average. In that first quarter of eighth grade, Cruz piled up 24 disciplinary referrals and 15 in-school suspensions.

During one in-school suspension, Cruz went into a bathroom and broke a water faucet.

John Vesey, the former principal at Westglades, testified that Cruz's "emotional needs were too extreme" to be successful in a mainstream school. Teachers were scared of him, Vesey said, and there was concern for the safety of other students.

"Teachers don't sign up for this," he said. [...]

Witness #18 Carrie Yon, Westglades Middle School teacher​

A little more than four years before Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 people, his eighth-grade language arts teacher wrote she "strongly" believed that "Nikolas is a danger to the students and faculty of the school."

Carrie Yon, a language arts teacher at Westglades Middle School, said her first impression of Cruz made her "very uncomfortable" and caused her to "put him on my radar" and keep detailed notes of his behavior.

On the stand, Yon recounted repeated incidents in which Cruz acted violently or inappropriately in the classroom, including cursing, simulating masturbation and drawing "creepy sexual pictures."
[...]
When Yon once remarked to Cruz that he was a "good kid," he answered by saying "I'm a bad kid. I want to kill." [...]

Witness #17 Broward County Deputy Gary Michalosky called to Cruz home in August 2012​

Broward County deputy Gary Michalosky said he was called to Cruz's home in August of 2012 for reports of a domestic disturbance. Cruz was upset that his adoptive mother locked his Xbox in the trunk of her car, Lynda Cruz told the deputy.

By the time the deputy arrived, the floor was littered with things the teen had thrown against the wall, including a now-shattered vase and a broken bowl. [...]

Michalosky radioed to dispatch and told them to change the call's classification from "domestic disturbance" to a "mental illness." [...]

Witness #16 Former neighbor Paul Gold recalls Cruz 'out of nowhere, he would just snap'​

Paul Gold lived next door to the Cruz family in Parkland from 2008 to 2011. He said he remembers his first time meeting Nikolas Cruz vividly.

They had begun to play pool in Gold's home, where he lived with his then-fiancée, Rocxanne Deschamps. Gold struck the cue ball, and at the sound of the bang, Cruz jumped away from the table and grabbed his ears.

"He just held his ears and just kind of rocked back and forth, and may have screamed a little bit," Gold said. The loud noise startled him "a lot more than was normal." [...]

That was his routine, Gold said. He was often pleasant enough, and then from one moment to the next, "he would just break things and go off — seemed out of his mind."

Then he'd calm down again and become "extremely apologetic," Gold said. He sometimes seemed shocked at himself. "It was like he was another person." [...]

Three months later, Gold picked up his phone to tell Cruz about something terrible he'd seen on the news.

"I called Nik to warn him there was a shooter around, " he said. "I couldn't even imagine that it was him."

When he found out who wielded the gun, Gold started to scream. He never thought he would speak to Cruz again. But as time went on, and as details about Cruz's biological mother's substance abuse came to light, his opinion changed. When Cruz calls him from jail, he answers the phone.

"This young man had been given everything that could have possibly gone wrong in a kid's life," Gold said.

 

[Weki]

I have not been following this penalty phase but of course YouTube algorithm is suggesting all these clips of the judge going off on defense. I saw the latest one after defense rested and holy cow! The defense attys inability to answer a straight question from the judge about who was questioning the next witness does make it seem like they are being totally disrespectful to her. From watching prior hearings, I feel like this judge projects insecurity/inexperience/lack of assertiveness and I'm wondering if she has failed to maintain control and that's what's leading to all these dustups. Even in this instance, she doesn't MAKE them answer the question - she deflects and moves on and finally when she's about to bring the jury they tell her they're resting. Then she has a catty back and forth with the defense atty, which made it seem like she was personalizing this whole thing. Not a good look IMO.

As the judge she's in charge and once she saw how the defense was behaving, she should've been asking at the end of every day what they were planning to do for the next day! She should've been on top of them every minute of every day. I've seen other judges do it and they keep everyone in line.

 

[turaj]

I have not been following this penalty phase but of course YouTube algorithm is suggesting all these clips of the judge going off on defense. I saw the latest one after defense rested and holy cow! The defense attys inability to answer a straight question from the judge about who was questioning the next witness does make it seem like they are being totally disrespectful to her. From watching prior hearings, I feel like this judge projects insecurity/inexperience/lack of assertiveness and I'm wondering if she has failed to maintain control and that's what's leading to all these dustups. Even in this instance, she doesn't MAKE them answer the question - she deflects and moves on and finally when she's about to bring the jury they tell her they're resting. Then she has a catty back and forth with the defense atty, which made it seem like she was personalizing this whole thing. Not a good look IMO.

As the judge she's in charge and once she saw how the defense was behaving, she should've been asking at the end of every day what they were planning to do for the next day! She should've been on top of them every minute of every day. I've seen other judges do it and they keep everyone in line.

Well said. I looked back at early days and the same two...judge and lead defense counsel were at it. It seems unprofessional on both sides but clearly the defense is playing games and the state simply could not believe this last one. Clearly this judge has never had a case that even approached this amount of attention and stakes are so high. Now the state has the advantage of getting together the rebuttal. I hope it is compact and moves quickly. I think jurors have heard enough and probably will not take real long unless there are some for death. I don't think that is likely but if so not easy to change minds. Wonder if they are hung on this does judge get to decide? Anyone know. Hanging on this is not beyond possible.

 

[SeesSeas]

MSN

NBC Miami

A Look at Florida's Death Penalty History as Parkland School Shooter Trial Nears End​

September 15, 2022
A South Florida jury is currently tasked with deciding the fate of the 23-year-old gunman who opened fire in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.
The sentencing trial for the confessed Parkland shooter, now 23-year-old Nikolas Cruz, has become one of the most notable death penalty trials in the state's history.
[...]
In 2017, the law was changed to require a unanimous decision by the jury in order for the trial judge to impose a death sentence.

As a result of this statute, the Florida jury tasked with deciding the fate of the confessed Parkland shooter must be unanimous in its decision for the killer to be sentenced to death.
[...]
If the 23-year-old confessed Parkland killer is sentenced to death, he will become the youngest inmate on Florida's death row.
[...]

 

[SeesSeas]

Clear as MUD. . .

Florida Supreme Court rules judges may impose death penalty without unanimous jury

The Florida Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that judges may impose the death penalty without the unanimous vote of the jurors, overturning the court's 2016 holding that the Eighth Amendment requires a...

www.jurist.org

JANUARY 25, 2020
Florida Supreme Court rules judges may impose death penalty without unanimous jury

Unanimous Jury Not Required For Death Penalty, Says Florida Supreme Court In Reversal

The Florida Supreme Court said Thursday that unanimous jury recommendations are not necessary before death sentences can be imposed, as justices backed...

wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu

January 24, 2020

Florida Supreme Court says unanimous jury not needed for death penalty in major reversal

“Death is indeed different,” wrote the lone dissenting justice. “This Court has taken a giant step backward."

www.tampabay.com

Jan. 23, 2020

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

The 2022 Florida Statutes
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS
Chapter 921
SENTENCE
921.141 Sentence of death or life imprisonment for capital felonies; further proceedings to determine sentence.—

 

[Weki]

Well said. I looked back at early days and the same two...judge and lead defense counsel were at it. It seems unprofessional on both sides but clearly the defense is playing games and the state simply could not believe this last one. Clearly this judge has never had a case that even approached this amount of attention and stakes are so high. Now the state has the advantage of getting together the rebuttal. I hope it is compact and moves quickly. I think jurors have heard enough and probably will not take real long unless there are some for death. I don't think that is likely but if so not easy to change minds. Wonder if they are hung on this does judge get to decide? Anyone know. Hanging on this is not beyond possible.

Yeah some defense attys get waaaay outta line. I don’t doubt they are testing the judge’s patience. I don’t know if you followed the Markeith Loyd trial or Dan Markel’s murder case, but those judges both had highly disrespectful, and unprofessional defense teams and they kept a tight leash all the way through. The only time defense attys get this bad is if the judge allows it. Lawyers know not to piss of the judge! If there are no behavioral checks, things get outta line. They don’t respect this judge I suspect 1. Because she’s constantly looking to the state for guidance and appears biased. Apparently one of the prosecutors was her mentor. 2. She’s young and unsure of herself 3. She seems unserious. Like she’s just playacting as a judge. 4. I wonder also about the political connections that landed her that role. Not saying she couldn’t have earned it but just curious what the story is there if there is one bc for sure the def attys know it!

JMO

 

[SeesSeas]

FROM THE BENCH: Nikolas Cruz – Will he be sentenced to death? (Opinion) - Court TV

A jury will decide whether Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz gets life in prison or the death penalty. What do YOU think?

www.courttv.com

September 14, 2022
[...]
On July 18, 2022, the penalty phase before a jury of 12 people began. Now, they must decide if Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to death, which requires a unanimous verdict following the presentation of evidence to show aggravating and mitigating factors.
[...]
The defense presented evidence of mitigation, trying to evoke enough sympathy to convince at least one juror to save his life.
[...]

 

[SeesSeas]

Meet the jurors: Who will decide if Nikolas Cruz will get life or death?

On June 29, the Court swore in the 12 jurors who will be asked to carefully weigh the evidence in the penalty phase of the Nikolas Cruz trial to recommend life in prison without parole or a death sentence.

www.local10.com

July 18, 2022

The 12 members of the main jury are:

• An IT analyst who previously worked in construction. He owns a semi-automatic handgun. His mom is a licensed mental health counselor, and his brother is a police officer. During jury selection, he said mental health counseling is a “helpful” profession. [...]
• A former French military officer who has worked in the financial sector for the last 20 years. [...]
• A probation officer that started the academy in 2019. He also told the court he has experience as a paralegal executive assistant at a personal injury firm. He does not own guns.
• A stocking supervisor for Wal-Mart. He said his uncle is a psychologist.
• A Miami-Dade computer technician for 13 years and father of three young children. [...]
• A University of Miami claims adjuster who does not own any firearms.
• A woman who has been working as a Broward library worker for the past four years. [...] She said she has had a good experience with mental health professionals because, “I have used mental health counseling. They were helpful to me.”
• A woman who is a human resources worker at her current employer for about 6 months told the court she has “been doing what I do for 20 years.” [...] She also told the Court she sits on a board of a mental health organization and owns a gun.
• A legal assistant at a single-person law firm. She said she formerly worked in elections and with a state attorney’s office in Central Florida. [...] When asked about her experience with mental health, she said, “It has been positive. I have gotten some mental health counseling myself.” She told the court during jury selection, “I think we need to take everything into consideration.”
• An immigration officer and former U.S. military. He said he joined the military and served from 2013-2016. [...]
• A man who works in a family-run business, “more specifically we are in the export and distribution business.” [...]
• A woman who is a senior investigator for compliance for a large medical device firm. Previously she worked in finance and accounting. [...]

The Court also swore in 10 alternates.
[...]

 

[turaj]

thank you for the juror breakdown SeesSeas...interesting. Confirms my thoughts that they will go for life. Lots of experience with mental health issues and I think some sympathy for his background is likely.

 

[Falling Down]

Details from more witnesses:

Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Defense calls less than 30 witnesses to build case for life sentence

Nikolas Cruz's defense team had planned to call 80 witnesses for their client. In the end, they called less than 30 before abruptly resting their case.

news.yahoo.com

September 14, 2022

Witness #23 Dr. Kenneth Jones, Mother's substance abuse and poor prenatal care hurt Cruz in the womb​

Cruz’s team of public defenders called on Dr. Kenneth Jones last year to assess whether the Parkland shooter has alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, or ARND.

Jones testified Tuesday that Cruz meets the cognitive criteria for such a diagnosis “without any question,” pointing to his impaired executive function, memory and visual spatial processing. [...]

The doctor told jurors that it doesn't take a lot of alcohol to cause problems in the womb. Six drinks over two sittings could do it, he said, and Cruz's late biological mother, Brenda Woodard, was known to abuse beer, wine and crack cocaine regularly throughout the beginning of her pregnancy.

"I have never seen so much alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman," Jones said. [...]

Witness #22 Neuropsychologist Paul Conner describes effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder on Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz​

Paul Connor, a Washington-based neuropsychologist, returned to the witness stand Tuesday to testify about the effects of Brenda Woodard's alcohol abuse on Cruz.

Connor told jurors Monday that the gunman suffered brain damage as a result of his birth mother's substance abuse, and that his full-scale intelligence quotient, or IQ, is an 83. The average person has an IQ of 100, and someone with fetal alcohol syndrome averages a 90 IQ. [...]

Witness #21 Social Worker Linda Pardo-Posse, Lynda Cruz told social worker 'something is very wrong' with Nikolas Cruz​

Lillian Pardo-Posse, a former social worker for Broward County Schools, read aloud an interview she conducted with Cruz's adoptive mother in 2013 to assess her eldest son's strengths and weaknesses.

"Nik is a loving kid," Lynda Cruz told her.

He was a gentle soul, she said, caring, affectionate, interested in animals and obsessed with Xbox. But he also had trouble reading, expressing himself and interacting with children. He couldn't control his temper. [...]

Witness #20 Jeffrey Smith, former Broward deputy, describes outbursts at Cruz home​

Jeffrey Smith, a former deputy with the Broward County Sheriff's Office, said he responded to incidents at the Cruz residence up to five times in the years leading up to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — often for Cruz's younger brother, Zachary. [...]

Witness #19 Social Worker Tiffany Forrest: 'Quite a bit of dysfunction' in Cruz home​

A social worker testified Friday that she once saw Zachary Cruz get on a table top at his Parkland home and step on food being eaten by Nikolas, his older younger brother.

"You could see there was quite a bit of dysfunction" in the home, said Tiffany Forrest, who was Nikolas Cruz's youth case manager in 2013. [...]

Witness #19 John Vesey, former principal at Westglades Middle School​

By the end of the first quarter of his eighth grade year at Westglades Middle School, Nikolas Cruz had a cumulative 0.416 grade point average. In that first quarter of eighth grade, Cruz piled up 24 disciplinary referrals and 15 in-school suspensions.

During one in-school suspension, Cruz went into a bathroom and broke a water faucet.

John Vesey, the former principal at Westglades, testified that Cruz's "emotional needs were too extreme" to be successful in a mainstream school. Teachers were scared of him, Vesey said, and there was concern for the safety of other students.

"Teachers don't sign up for this," he said. [...]

Witness #18 Carrie Yon, Westglades Middle School teacher​

A little more than four years before Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 people, his eighth-grade language arts teacher wrote she "strongly" believed that "Nikolas is a danger to the students and faculty of the school."

Carrie Yon, a language arts teacher at Westglades Middle School, said her first impression of Cruz made her "very uncomfortable" and caused her to "put him on my radar" and keep detailed notes of his behavior.

On the stand, Yon recounted repeated incidents in which Cruz acted violently or inappropriately in the classroom, including cursing, simulating masturbation and drawing "creepy sexual pictures."
[...]
When Yon once remarked to Cruz that he was a "good kid," he answered by saying "I'm a bad kid. I want to kill." [...]

Witness #17 Broward County Deputy Gary Michalosky called to Cruz home in August 2012​

Broward County deputy Gary Michalosky said he was called to Cruz's home in August of 2012 for reports of a domestic disturbance. Cruz was upset that his adoptive mother locked his Xbox in the trunk of her car, Lynda Cruz told the deputy.

By the time the deputy arrived, the floor was littered with things the teen had thrown against the wall, including a now-shattered vase and a broken bowl. [...]

Michalosky radioed to dispatch and told them to change the call's classification from "domestic disturbance" to a "mental illness." [...]

Witness #16 Former neighbor Paul Gold recalls Cruz 'out of nowhere, he would just snap'​

Paul Gold lived next door to the Cruz family in Parkland from 2008 to 2011. He said he remembers his first time meeting Nikolas Cruz vividly.

They had begun to play pool in Gold's home, where he lived with his then-fiancée, Rocxanne Deschamps. Gold struck the cue ball, and at the sound of the bang, Cruz jumped away from the table and grabbed his ears.

"He just held his ears and just kind of rocked back and forth, and may have screamed a little bit," Gold said. The loud noise startled him "a lot more than was normal." [...]

That was his routine, Gold said. He was often pleasant enough, and then from one moment to the next, "he would just break things and go off — seemed out of his mind."

Then he'd calm down again and become "extremely apologetic," Gold said. He sometimes seemed shocked at himself. "It was like he was another person." [...]

Three months later, Gold picked up his phone to tell Cruz about something terrible he'd seen on the news.

"I called Nik to warn him there was a shooter around, " he said. "I couldn't even imagine that it was him."

When he found out who wielded the gun, Gold started to scream. He never thought he would speak to Cruz again. But as time went on, and as details about Cruz's biological mother's substance abuse came to light, his opinion changed. When Cruz calls him from jail, he answers the phone.

"This young man had been given everything that could have possibly gone wrong in a kid's life," Gold said.

Bottom line: He didn't belong in a regular public school environment, especially one with 3,000+ other kids.

 

[mothwings]

Sept 16 Motion to Disqualify Affidavit​

 

[LaborDayRN]

I'm not sure if this has been posted. I apologize if it has.

Defense files motion to disqualify judge from Parkland trial

Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

www.cbsnews.com

MIAMI - Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

The move follows last week's comments by the judge calling the defense "unprofessional" after the defense rested their case.

Cruz's attorneys allege that Scherer's conduct during the Wednesday exchange revealed "long-held" animosity toward the defense counsel that has "infected" the proceedings and will prevent their client from getting a fair trial.

Read the motion in its entirety:
More at link.......

 

[Marysmith]

I'm not sure if this has been posted. I apologize if it has.

Defense files motion to disqualify judge from Parkland trial

Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

www.cbsnews.com

MIAMI - Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

The move follows last week's comments by the judge calling the defense "unprofessional" after the defense rested their case.

Cruz's attorneys allege that Scherer's conduct during the Wednesday exchange revealed "long-held" animosity toward the defense counsel that has "infected" the proceedings and will prevent their client from getting a fair trial.

Read the motion in its entirety:
More at link.......

Interesting…

 

[Weki]

I'm not sure if this has been posted. I apologize if it has.

Defense files motion to disqualify judge from Parkland trial

Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

www.cbsnews.com

MIAMI - Attorneys for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz filed a motion Friday demanding the removal of Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer from the case.

The move follows last week's comments by the judge calling the defense "unprofessional" after the defense rested their case.

Cruz's attorneys allege that Scherer's conduct during the Wednesday exchange revealed "long-held" animosity toward the defense counsel that has "infected" the proceedings and will prevent their client from getting a fair trial.

Read the motion in its entirety:
More at link.......

Wow! I can’t say they are wrong to interpret her behavior/comments as bias and prejudice. I don’t think she will grant this motion. Can’t wait to read her justifications. She better come with receipts of the lead defense atty’s misconduct cause otherwise this looks pretty bad for the judge.

Also, I didn’t know she had told them to come in at 9:15 and then showed up at 10 herself!!! Then she blamed the defense for the inconvenience of wasting the day in front of the jury?! She has def personalized the lead defense attys behavior.