Parkland school shooter's defense team demands judge be removed after heated exchange
CBSN
The attorneys representing the Parkland school shooter filed a motion Friday asking for the judge overseeing his sentencing trial to be replaced. The motion comes after the judge and the defense attorneys had an unusually heated exchange on Wednesday, in which the judge accused the attorneys of a lack of professionalism.
The motion alleges that Circuit Judge Elizabeth 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.
Defense attorneys had originally told the judge and prosecutors they would be calling 80 witnesses to defend Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty last year to murdering 14 students and three staff members in a 2017 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
