Parkland shooter trial: Jury selection begins to determine penalty for Nikolas Cruz
Global News
Jury selection began Monday to determine whether Nikolas Cruz will be put to death for murdering 17 students and staff at a Parkland, Florida high school.
Jury selection in the deadliest U.S. mass shooting ever to go to trial began Monday with preliminary screening for the panel that will determine whether Nikolas Cruz will be put to death for murdering 17 students and staff members at a Parkland, Florida, high school.
The first group of 60 prospective jurors filed into Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer’s courtroom for what is expected to be a two-month process to pick 12 panelists plus eight alternates. Court officials say 1,500 candidates or more could be brought before Scherer, prosecutors and Cruz’s public defenders for initial screening.
Cruz, 23, sat between his attorneys, wearing a gray sweater and an anti-viral face mask, four sheriff’s deputies sitting nearby. He spoke briefly, waiving his right to participate directly in the screening process. He pleaded guilty in October to the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, meaning the jury will only decide if he receives a death sentence or life without parole.
Eight parents and other family members of some victims sat together in the courtroom.
The prospective jurors are being asked if they can put aside any animosity toward Cruz and judge the case fairly. They will then be asked if they are available from June through September. Out of each group of 60, Scherer is hoping an average of five remain.
Candidates who pass those hurdles are being taken into another room to fill out a questionnaire on their backgrounds and beliefs for the lawyers to later review. They will be brought back in several weeks later for individual questioning. To qualify for the jury, they must say they can vote for the death penalty if the evidence supports that verdict, but also don’t believe it should be mandatory for murder.
Seven other U.S. killers who fatally shot at least 17 people died during or immediately after their attacks, either by suicide or at the hands of police. The suspect in the 2019 massacre of 23 at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart is still awaiting trial.