Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who is presiding over the Parkland school shooter’s death penalty phase, said the court was in recess until 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Prosecutors rested their case on Aug. 4, after calling 91 witnesses in 12 days, including the 17 injured on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
On Monday, Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill delivered her opening statement and the defense called the first three witnesses, Carolyn Deakins, Danielle Woodard and Susan Hendler-Lubar.
“Wounded and damaged people, wound and damage other people because they are in pain, but we don’t excuse the horrific acts of damaged and wounded people, we punish them, but we take into consideration their damage when we impose sentence,” McNeill said.
Deakins and Woodard both claimed to have witnessed Cruz’s biological mother, Brenda Woodard, using cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol while pregnant with Cruz. Susan Hendler-Lubar, a special education teacher, said Cruz had developmental delays and language impairments during pre-school.
“His brain was irretrievably broken to no fault of his own,” McNeill said.
The defense needs only one of the 12 jurors to oppose the death sentence, so Cruz is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in October.
Watch today’s Facebook Live: Commentary on Aug. 22
Watch the 12 p.m. report
“A vote for life is the right vote,” Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill said asking the jury for compassion, grace and mercy.
Watch the 3 p.m. report
Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill, who leads the team that is working to save the Parkland school shooter’s life, delivered her opening statement on Monday and started to call witnesses.
Watch the 4 p.m. report
Carolyn Deakins, who was friends with Woodard, was the defense’s first witness. She said Woodard was gay and the two met while working in prostitution in the 90s along U.S. 1 in Broward County. She also said Woodard was an alcoholic and an addict who continued drinking and using while pregnant.
Watch the 5 p.m. report
Monday's second witness was Danielle Woodard, a convicted felon and Nikolas Cruz’s older biological sister. She was in handcuffs because she remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, as she awaits trial for a robbery, carjacking, and aggravated assault in January 2020.
Watch the 6 p.m. report
Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill, who leads the team that is working to save the Parkland school shooter’s life, delivered her opening statement on Monday and started to call witnesses.
HEARING ON MOTION
Last week, Broward County Judge Elizabeth Scherer ruled that two high-profile defense witnesses must answer prosecutors’ questions.
Cruz’s brother, Zachary Cruz, and Zachary Cruz’s roommate, Richard Moore, didn’t believe some of the questions asked from them by prosecutors were appropriate. But the judge overseeing the Parkland shooter’s trial disagreed.
Zachary Cruz and Moore’s motion stated, “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.”
Attorney Amina Matheny-Willard spoke on their behalf last Thursday and brought up Zachary Cruz’s 2018 arrest for trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas a month after the shooting before telling Scherer: “We feel like this is continued harassment by Broward County and we feel like it is tantamount to witness tampering.”
Scherer: “You are saying that there is continued harassment that would warrant the Florida Department of Law Enforcement getting involved?
Matheny-Willard: “Absolutely”
Scherer: “That is a big accusation, which if you feel that is the case then you, ma’am, by all means, should be contacting the police yourself.”
[RELATED: Details emerge about criminal histories of Cruz’s biological family]
Scherer ruled that Zachary Cruz and Moore will answer all questions in the deposition despite Matheny-Willard’s argument against some of the queries.
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Prosecutors rested their case on Aug. 4, after calling 91 witnesses in 12 days, including the 17 injured on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
On Monday, Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill delivered her opening statement and the defense called the first three witnesses, Carolyn Deakins, Danielle Woodard and Susan Hendler-Lubar.
“Wounded and damaged people, wound and damage other people because they are in pain, but we don’t excuse the horrific acts of damaged and wounded people, we punish them, but we take into consideration their damage when we impose sentence,” McNeill said.
Deakins and Woodard both claimed to have witnessed Cruz’s biological mother, Brenda Woodard, using cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol while pregnant with Cruz. Susan Hendler-Lubar, a special education teacher, said Cruz had developmental delays and language impairments during pre-school.
“His brain was irretrievably broken to no fault of his own,” McNeill said.
The defense needs only one of the 12 jurors to oppose the death sentence, so Cruz is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in October.
Watch today’s Facebook Live: Commentary on Aug. 22
Watch the 12 p.m. report
“A vote for life is the right vote,” Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill said asking the jury for compassion, grace and mercy.
Watch the 3 p.m. report
Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill, who leads the team that is working to save the Parkland school shooter’s life, delivered her opening statement on Monday and started to call witnesses.
Watch the 4 p.m. report
Carolyn Deakins, who was friends with Woodard, was the defense’s first witness. She said Woodard was gay and the two met while working in prostitution in the 90s along U.S. 1 in Broward County. She also said Woodard was an alcoholic and an addict who continued drinking and using while pregnant.
Watch the 5 p.m. report
Monday's second witness was Danielle Woodard, a convicted felon and Nikolas Cruz’s older biological sister. She was in handcuffs because she remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, as she awaits trial for a robbery, carjacking, and aggravated assault in January 2020.
Watch the 6 p.m. report
Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill, who leads the team that is working to save the Parkland school shooter’s life, delivered her opening statement on Monday and started to call witnesses.
HEARING ON MOTION
Last week, Broward County Judge Elizabeth Scherer ruled that two high-profile defense witnesses must answer prosecutors’ questions.
Cruz’s brother, Zachary Cruz, and Zachary Cruz’s roommate, Richard Moore, didn’t believe some of the questions asked from them by prosecutors were appropriate. But the judge overseeing the Parkland shooter’s trial disagreed.
Zachary Cruz and Moore’s motion stated, “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.”
Attorney Amina Matheny-Willard spoke on their behalf last Thursday and brought up Zachary Cruz’s 2018 arrest for trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas a month after the shooting before telling Scherer: “We feel like this is continued harassment by Broward County and we feel like it is tantamount to witness tampering.”
Scherer: “You are saying that there is continued harassment that would warrant the Florida Department of Law Enforcement getting involved?
Matheny-Willard: “Absolutely”
Scherer: “That is a big accusation, which if you feel that is the case then you, ma’am, by all means, should be contacting the police yourself.”
[RELATED: Details emerge about criminal histories of Cruz’s biological family]
Scherer ruled that Zachary Cruz and Moore will answer all questions in the deposition despite Matheny-Willard’s argument against some of the queries.
Interactive graphic
Continue reading...
