Nikolas Cruz death sentencing trial delayed again; testimony now slated to start June 27

Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read
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FORT LAUDERDALE — Delays continue to push back the start of testimony in the sentencing phase of confessed school shooter Nikolas Cruz's death penalty case.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer announced this week that it will begin June 27 — nearly a month after originally planned.

The latest delay was caused by the two-week absence of lead defense attorney Melisa McNeill for an undisclosed health issue.

McNeill returned to court Monday, allowing jury selection, which began April 4, to resume. Scherer said jury selectionwill be completed by June 8.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz glances towards the back of the courtroom during the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz glances towards the back of the courtroom during the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

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Prosecutors and defense attorneys continued the second round of jury selection Wednesday, questioning prospective jurors about their views on the death penalty.

Cruz, 23, shot and killed 17 students and staff members at the school on Feb. 14, 2018. He also shot 17 other people. Cruz pled guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder in October.

One man told defense attorney Casey Secor that he believed anyone guilty of first-degree murder deserved the death penalty. He was excused by Scherer.

Through Wednesday morning, only 18 of 46 candidates have been retained and moved into the third round of jury selection, which will center on the potential jurors' knowledge of the case.

Capital defense attorney Casey Secor questions a potential juror during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, May 16, 2022.
Capital defense attorney Casey Secor questions a potential juror during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, May 16, 2022.

Scherer said she wants to select 150 candidates that will be whittled down to 12 jurors and eight alternates for the start of the trial.

The jury panel that is selected will determine whether Cruz, who lived in Lantana briefly before the shootings, spends the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole or is executed. A unanimous jury verdict is required to impose a death sentence.

jmilian@pbpost.com

@caneswatch

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Judge delays start of Parkland gunman's death penalty trial until June 27