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Post by kitty on Feb 11, 2022 19:28:25 GMT -5
If "hatred" did the shooting, why didn't he tell that to the detective who questioned him instead of saying a demon was telling him what to do? I'm no psychologist, but I don't believe hearing voices is the same as multiple personality.
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Post by jane on Feb 12, 2022 12:03:02 GMT -5
If "hatred" did the shooting, why didn't he tell that to the detective who questioned him instead of saying a demon was telling him what to do? I'm no psychologist, but I don't believe hearing voices is the same as multiple personality. If he had multiple personalities, would one personality know what the other was doing?
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Post by Graveyardbride on Feb 12, 2022 16:34:44 GMT -5
Judge Denies Defense Motion to Keep Identities of Jurors Confidential
Attorneys for Nikolas Cruz filed a motion to keep the names of potential jurors confidential and refer to them by number only, however, Judge Elizabeth Scherer denied the motion, saying concealing their names would be unconstitutional.
Additionally, defense attorneys are now claiming Cruz suffers from multiple-personality disorder, aka dissociative identity disorder, and one of his personalities known as “Hatred” was responsible for the February 14, 2018, shooting.
Others scoff at such claims, citing the video game “Hatred,” an isometric shooter game released by Destructive Creations in 2015, which the Defendant is said to have played. Cruz was so addicted to violent video games that at age 14, he assaulted his mother, knocking her against a wall, when she attempted to take away his games.
Sources: WFOR, February 11, 2022; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Post by jason on Feb 13, 2022 23:13:14 GMT -5
Additionally, defense attorneys are now claiming Cruz suffers from multiple-personality disorder, aka dissociative identity disorder, and one of his personalities known as “Hatred” was responsible for the February 14, 2018, shooting.
Others scoff at such claims, citing the video game “Hatred,” an isometric shooter game released by Destructive Creations in 2015, which the Defendant is said to have played. Cruz was so addicted to violent video games that at age 14, he assaulted his mother, knocking her against a wall, when she attempted to take away his games. You'd think Cruz and his lawyers could have come up with a better name for his alter ego than "Hatred," the name of a freaking video game he played.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Feb 17, 2022 17:50:27 GMT -5
Jury Selection Set to Begin April 4, 2022
Judge Elizabeth Scherer has scheduled jury selection in the penalty phase of the Parkland Shooting case to begin Monday, April 4, 2022.
The trial was rescheduled after defense attorneys indicated their client suffered from dissociative identity disorder and an alternate personality known as “Hatred” was responsible for the school shooting. As a result, prosecutors requested additional time in which to take expert depositions and otherwise prepare their case.
Sources: WFOR, February 15, 2022; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 4, 2022 13:20:43 GMT -5
Jury Selection Begins in Parkland Shooter Case
Jury selection began this morning (April 4, 2022) in Fort Lauderdale for 12 individuals who will decide whether Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz, now 23, lives or dies. The jury’s decision must be unanimous and if a single juror votes against the death penalty, the Defendant will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is already serving a 25-year sentence for assaulting a guard.
Selection will be slow and methodical, with both the prosecution and defense carefully questioning each prospective juror during voir dire. However, if the process becomes too arduous and defense attorneys decide it will be impossible to seat an impartial panel, they may request a change of venue.
Commenting on the case, long-time public defender Stephen Harper, who has a great deal of expertise in death penalty cases, said, “The prosecutor is going to argue that this was a totally evil, unnecessary and horrible act,” and the “defense is going to argue that their client was seriously mentally ill. His mother was apparently an alcoholic and a drug abuser. And in utero, he would have been exposed to very serious things that could have affected clearly his mental capacity. So those things are very relevant.” The defense also may present electroencephalogram tests and other forms of brain scans, he added. Phil Reizenstein, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, who also has experience in death penalty cases, commented that the heinous, premeditated nature of the mass shooting will be hard for the defense to overcome. The jury will be shown videos recorded by students of the last moments of some of their and hear testimony from survivors. “They’re going to get on the stand and they’re going to tell jurors what they felt, their fear and their horror at seeing their friends murdered. That is going to be just bombshell testimony for the prosecution,” he said.
The jury also will hear the testimony of some of the victims’ family members. For example, Tony Montalto and his wife Jennifer, the parents of Gina Montalto, a 14-year-old freshman killed that day, will tell jurors about their dead child and how much she is missed. “Every day is painful for us after our daughter was murdered,” her father told reporters. “This cold, calculated and deliberate act deprived us of our beautiful and loving daughter.” The proceedings are expected to be extremely emotional for all concerned. Last fall, when Cruz pled guilty to the shootinigs, he apologized for his actions. “I am very sorry for what I did and I have to live with it every day,” he told the court and those present. “... if I would get a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others.” Family members of the victims dismissed his apology outright, labeling it “irrelevant” and “ridiculous.”
Sources: Greg Allen, WJCT News, April 4, 2022; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Fritz
Junior Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Fritz on Apr 23, 2022 6:49:53 GMT -5
Do y'all think Cruz will be sentenced to death? He deserves death, but if there's just one bleeding heart on the jury, he'll get life. Too bad Florida has lethal injection, if anyone ever deserved to fry in the electric chair, it's Cruz.
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Post by pat on Apr 24, 2022 0:56:32 GMT -5
Do y'all think Cruz will be sentenced to death? He deserves death, but if there's just one bleeding heart on the jury, he'll get life. Too bad Florida has lethal injection, if anyone ever deserved to fry in the electric chair, it's Cruz. I don't think that people can be disqualified now if they're against the death penalty, so there's a good chance there'll be at least one bleeding heart on the jury. I've seen in comments online where young women talk about how he's remorseful and how frightened he looks when he has to appear in court. Did you read where the jail is inundated with mail for Cruz? They're as crazy about him as they were Ted Bundy. whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/8189/inundated-letters-parkland-school-shooter
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Post by snowfairy on Apr 26, 2022 1:10:33 GMT -5
I was just reading some trash on Reddit about Nikolas Cruz and as usual, the killer groupie, u/Appropriate-Quality8, acts like he's her personal property. I hope she isn't a member of this site. I'm sure she'd marry him if she could.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 27, 2022 0:10:56 GMT -5
Jury Selection Halted After Prospective Jurors Yell Expletives at Defendant
An entire group of potential jurors was dismissed on the afternoon of April 26 after a Broward County Sheriff’s deputy in the courtroom heard what he perceived to be a threat. It all started when a gentleman summoned for jury duty became enraged when he saw Nikolas Cruz and started hurling insults, at one point yelling, “You traumatized us all!” Before a bailiff could escort him outside, other prospective jurors began uttering expletives and one of the women got to her feet and walked out of the courtroom.
A second bailiff proceeded to move Cruz away from the defense table. “I was not aware that’s what was going to happen to Mr. Cruz – meaning him being put against the wall, his hands behind his back,” Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill remarked.
Judge Elizabeth Scherer subsequently explained what happened to those present: “Number 19 was doing what you said, mouthing expletives and so on and so forth to the defendant which got number 9 excited and belligerent also, which then went to number 25, who started to do the same type of thing. So as they are escorting 19 out, he turns around and they were under the impression he was going to try and come back at Mr. Cruz. Between that, number 9 and number 25, some of whom were wearing I guess masks that covered the majority of their face, they could not tell what was being said or what was going on other than there were three people that were in close proximity that were making a threat and there was another one in the back who started to join in and I guess with a combination of all of that the sheriff’s office observed all of that and they felt the need to protect Mr. Cruz.”
The microphones were then cut while the judge and deputies discussed the Defendant’s safety.
Jury selection began from scratch Monday, April 25, after both the prosecution and defense argued that Judge Scherer made a mistake when she failed to question 11 prospective jurors who said they would not follow Florida law as it pertains to capital punishment. In granting the motion, two weeks’ work was nullified and opening statements scheduled for mid-June are delayed again, this time to June 21. Opening statements had previously been scheduled to begin May 31.
The 12-member jury will decide if the Parkland shooter will be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Sources: WPLG, April 26, 2022; WFOR, April 26, 2022; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Post by pat on Apr 28, 2022 5:25:19 GMT -5
There should have been a change of venue in this case. There are too many people in Broward County who knew some of the victims or their families and considering how many he killed and maimed, people hate him. He claims he's sorry for what he did, but if that were true, he'd do the decent thing and ask for the death penalty.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 28, 2022 22:50:46 GMT -5
Judge Reverses Decision Concerning Jury Selection
Judge Elizabeth Scherer has reversed her decision and now says she is not dismissing 243 potential jurors who passed the first round of screening. She also will bring back 11 members of the jury pool she dismissed without questioning.
Her decision has apparently left both the prosecution and defense somewhat confused
On Wednesday (April 27), defense attorneys filed a motion alleging the judge’s actions amounted to double jeopardy and violated their client’s constitutional right to due process. Although they accused Scherer of “bad faith,” the prosecution argued the accusation was “baseless.”
In concluding this week’s proceedings, the judge instructed both sides to work together to decide how they would proceed beginning Monday, May 2.
It is still unclear what will happen to the 155 potential jurors who passed the first round of questions.
Sources: The Associated Press, April 27, 2022; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 9, 2022 16:56:28 GMT -5
Jury Selection Delayed Again in Parkland Shooting CaseJury selection started again today after being suspended May 2 only to be interrupted yet again, this time because head defense attorney Melisa McNeill is suffering from some undisclosed illness. Jury selection is scheduled to resume May 16.
Before Judge Elizabeth Scherer rescheduled the proceedings, the 11th potential juror, who claimed he could not follow the law and arrive at a fair verdict, was brought back into court. However, the self-employed software engineer was excused for financial hardship and isn’t required to appear again. Ten other prospective jurors, who were dismissed April 5 after claiming they could not follow the law, were brought back last week and nine also were excused for hardships.
Courtroom observers noted Nikolas Cruz was sporting a snazzy new “moussed” hairstyle today. He also has a hint of a moustache and appears to be growing a goatee, probably not the best choice considering many already associate him with the devil.Sources: Ryan Hughes, WPTV, May 9, 2022; The Associated Press; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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Post by pat on May 9, 2022 23:19:05 GMT -5
With his hair sticking up like a horn and the goatee, he does resemble the devil.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 7, 2022 1:16:35 GMT -5
Member of Defense Team Ill, McNeill Spars with Judge
On Monday, June 6, proceedings commenced with the defense advising the court that Casey Secor – a member of the defense team who was specifically hired to assist in jury selection – was absent and “in quarantine” as a result of an unspecified illness.
When Judge Elizabeth Scherer indicated she wished to proceed with jury selection, Public Defender Melisa McNeill, who is leading the defense team, explained, “I’m not comfortable going forward without him, Judge.”
“Well, you’re going to have to,” Scherer replied, “Your client has the right to have a competent lawyer. Your client does not have the right to have every lawyer.”
McNeill then said she was facing a decision of either disobeying the court or moving forward without her full team and moved to withdraw entirely, saying, “Judge, at this time, the defense would move to withdraw from the case of the State of Florida vs. Nikolas Cruz. Right now, if I do not comply with the court’s order and do not protect Mr. Cruz’s constitutional rights to due process, I now have to consider whether or not my liberty is going to be at jeopardy or Mr. Cruz’s liberty is going to be at jeopardy.” Dramatically claiming her failure to provide her client with the best possible defense impacted her own career, she continued, “I’m also going to have to consider whether or not my law license can be impacted, which would impact my ability to raise my children, feed my children and educate my children.”
The judge denied McNeill’s motion after which Prosecutor Carolyn McCann asked the court if potential jurors could be questioned concerning hardships alone because there were only a few hours left and Scherer agreed.
McNeill then returned to the courtroom and presented a motion that Judge Scherer withdraw from the case. Additionally, the defense expressed concern that recent school shooting incidents – including that in Uvalde, Texas, – could affect the opinions of potential jurors and requested a continuance. “To continue this trial for a reasonable period of time to allow the wave of emotion surrounding the recent mass shootings to subside so that Mr. Cruz can be tried by a jury free from bias and prejudice against him for events that are not relevant to his crime, his background, his character or his life,” the motion read.
Apparently, Judge Scherer is hoping to bring in 150 potential jurors for the next phase of questioning, although only 35 have advanced thus far. Another 95 have been rejected.
Sources: Lawrence Richard, Fox News, June 7, 2022; WPLG, June 6, 2021; and State of Florida v. Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Case No. 18-001958-CF-10A.
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