Parkland shooting trial judge denies defense's request to replace her after heated exchange last week
CBSN
The judge overseeing the penalty trial of the Parkland school shooter on Monday denied a motion from defense attorneys to have her replaced with a new judge, following a dramatic week at trial that included a heated exchange between her and the defense counsel. The motion, filed on Friday, alleged that the judge revealed longstanding animosity toward the defense during the exchange that threatens the fairness of the trial.
The one-page order from judge Elizabeth Scherer did not discuss any of the specific claims made in the Friday motion, but deemed the request "legally insufficient," according to a copy of the document obtained by CBS News.
The motion claimed that Scherer's conduct during an argument with defense counsel on Wednesday demonstrated "long-held" animosity that "infected" the proceedings and prevented their client, Nikolas Cruz, from getting a fair trial.
