Jury Selection Underway For Confessed Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz Jail Brawl Trial

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — Jury enactment proceedings are underway for the upcoming proceedings of confessed Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz who is accused of attacking connected a Broward jailhouse guard.

Cruz’s defence sought to hold the commencement of the trial, citing their pb counsel was earnestly sick and was precocious hospitalized.

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Public defender David Wheeler got sick past week and was successful the infirmary for 1 night. He’s present recovering astatine home, according to the county’s main nationalist defender Gordon Weekes.

On Monday, the time assemblage enactment was primitively expected to begin, Judge Elizabeth Scherer said a hold was not realistic.

“We’re talking astir a 2nd grade felony wherever the incidental stems from a 2 infinitesimal altercation,” said Scherer.

Weekes argued that not allowing a continuance due to the fact that Wheeler is sick puts Cruz successful ineligible jeopardy.

“I cannot conscionable spot anybody there. We person a fig of skilled attorneys successful our bureau but it is much to the mentation of the proceedings to beryllium processed close implicit an individual, to person an lawyer you person built a study with, that you person interaction with, that you person connection with, that you tin strategize with. That is what’s going to hap if the tribunal conscionable allows for, oregon encourages for, oregon forces america to spot conscionable anyone there,” helium said.

Judge Scherer pointed retired that different nationalist defenders had been progressive successful his case

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“There is simply a squad of experienced lawyers that person been progressive some straight oregon peripherally who, I recognize it would beryllium a load to the nationalist defender’s bureau to reassign them temporarily to beryllium 2nd oregon pb counsel successful this case, however, arsenic I person said, I’m much than consenting to springiness that other week oregon 2 that would instrumentality them disconnected of that lawsuit to reassign them to this case,” said Scherer.

Scherer past ruled that assemblage enactment volition commencement connected Tuesday, it’s expected to past done Friday. She besides ruled that the proceedings volition beryllium delayed by a small much than a week and present statesman connected October 19th.

The lawsuit has been reassigned to Assistant Public Defender Jaclyn Broudy, who was hired by the bureau past year. Scherer asked Weekes to delegate different counsel to assistance Broudy.

Cruz, a erstwhile Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School pupil is charged with battle and artillery connected a instrumentality enforcement serviceman aft deputies accidental helium attacked BSO Detention Sgt. Raymond Beltran backmost successful November 2018.

Video from the jailhouse appears to amusement Cruz walking astir tables successful a communal area. He exchanged words with Beltran who told him “not resistance his sandals astir portion successful a jailhouse dayroom,” according to the constabulary report.

Cruz past reportedly flipped him disconnected earlier rushing astatine Beltran, tackling him to the ground. Beltran was capable to flip him over. They 2 past struggled implicit Beltran’s stun weapon which went disconnected but didn’t onslaught anyone. Cruz past slipped from Beltran’s grasp and allegedly punched him. Beltran past punched Cruz successful the face, knocking him to the ground.

Back successful September, Cruz’s defence tried to person the lawsuit dismissed. They argued that surveillance video before the scuffle happened was not preserved, and truthful denied him a just trial. But Judge Scherer denied the motion, saying determination was nary owed process violation.

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Cruz is jailed connected charges of sidesplitting 14 students and 3 unit members and wounding 17 others astatine Marjory Stoneman Douglas High connected February 14th, 2018. No day has been acceptable for the execution trial. Scherer has been holding predominant hearings successful caller weeks to see issues that indispensable beryllium resolved earlier it begins. Prosecutors program to question the decease penalty.