The judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys are gathering again Thursday for a hearing in the penalty phase of the Parkland school shooter’s trial.
The jury is not expected to return to the courthouse until next week.
On Thursday, the state and defense will debate over whether the shooter’s brother, Zachary Cruz, and the brother’s roommate, Richard Moore, should be forced to answer certain questions asked from the state in a deposition.
In Zachary Cruz and Moore’s motion, they expressed some frustration with the state’s deposition, stating that they believe some questions are not appropriate.
According to the motion, “the majority of the information the State seeks, touches intimately on the home, marital, and family life of the Deponents. The information further is tied to perceived political activities, political views, and membership or participation in certain protest movements and activist groups.”
Cruz and Moore stated that prosecutors have not given a reason for why this kind of information is relevant to the case, and stated that the majority of information the state is seeking disclosure on is information that the state has already admitted it has.
On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz’s defense attorneys said they would no longer seek to show jurors images of his brain scan that were done at the Broward County Main Jail.
Cruz’s defense team initially wanted to introduce it as evidence but backed out after the prosecutors’ Emory University expert, Dr. Charles Epstein, questioned the reliability of the analysis of the brain scan referring to it as “garbage.”
Cruz has pleaded guilty to killing 17 people in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
His trial will determine whether he is sentenced to life in prison or death.
READ THE FULL MOTION BELOW:
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The jury is not expected to return to the courthouse until next week.
On Thursday, the state and defense will debate over whether the shooter’s brother, Zachary Cruz, and the brother’s roommate, Richard Moore, should be forced to answer certain questions asked from the state in a deposition.
In Zachary Cruz and Moore’s motion, they expressed some frustration with the state’s deposition, stating that they believe some questions are not appropriate.
According to the motion, “the majority of the information the State seeks, touches intimately on the home, marital, and family life of the Deponents. The information further is tied to perceived political activities, political views, and membership or participation in certain protest movements and activist groups.”
Cruz and Moore stated that prosecutors have not given a reason for why this kind of information is relevant to the case, and stated that the majority of information the state is seeking disclosure on is information that the state has already admitted it has.
On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz’s defense attorneys said they would no longer seek to show jurors images of his brain scan that were done at the Broward County Main Jail.
Cruz’s defense team initially wanted to introduce it as evidence but backed out after the prosecutors’ Emory University expert, Dr. Charles Epstein, questioned the reliability of the analysis of the brain scan referring to it as “garbage.”
Cruz has pleaded guilty to killing 17 people in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
His trial will determine whether he is sentenced to life in prison or death.
READ THE FULL MOTION BELOW:
Continue reading...