The father of a Parkland shooting victim called for the public defender’s resignation after a heated court session.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed during the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School, said he initially did not plan to give a victim’s statement during Nikolas Cruz’s sentencing. However, he said on Wednesday that a clash between the defence and Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer changed his mind.
During the first day of sentencing on Tuesday, public defender Gordon Weekes asked the judge to intervene in the impact statements in light of the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. Mr Weekes claimed the children of the defence team had been referenced, which the judge said she was not aware of.
Judge Scherer shut down Mr Weeke’s remarks, saying that the victims’ families had maintained composure and made acceptable comments for the most part. Another member of the defence then pushed for the claims and told Ms Scherer that she would have noticed if the victim had brought up her children, prompting the judge to accuse Mr Weekes of “inappropriate behaviour and for being out of line.”
“Yesterday, the elected public defender said that nobody had to endure what this defence has endured,” Jennifer Guttenberg, the mother of Jaime Guttenberg, said on Wednesday before Cruz was sentenced to 34 consecutive life terms in prison. “And as a reminder, Mr Weekes, and the rest of the defence attorneys, your client murdered our loved ones in cold blood. Hunted them down, shot them over and over until he knew he accomplished his goal.”
Mr Guttenberg then called for Mr Weekes’ resignation. Mr Weekes’ comments were made after his team was scolded by parents of the victims on Tuesday for a previous instance in which attorney Tamara Curtis appeared to flip her middle finger to the camera as she laughed with Cruz and another member of the defence.
“To suggest for one second that we would be the kind of people or anyone back there would be the kinds of people who would incite violence, you all should be ashamed of yourselves,” Mr Guttenberg continued.
Victim Joaquin Oliver’s sister, Andrea Ghersi, refused to address Cruz during his victim impact statement, but lashed out at the defence after the events on Tuesday.
“I will not allow any of you to make us out to be the kind of people that resort to any kind of threats, especially threats toward children,” Ms Ghersi said.
She continued: “‘No one in this courtroom has had to go through what we have had to go through,’ a statement by Gordon Weekes. What exactly have you had to go through? Did you have to sit here for the past few months and listen from medical experts how many shots your loved one received?”
“How much they suffered while being hunted down by their murderer. Are you that out of touch?”
The statements by the families were prompted after a heated exchanged between the defence and the presiding judge on Tuesday.
“I did my job, and every member of this team did our job, and we should not personally be attacked for that, nor should our children,” said lead defence attorney Melisa McNeill.
Chief Assistant Public Defender David Wheeler later seconded those claims, saying family members of the victims had brought up the defence’s children, while Judge Scherer said she had not registered those remarks and that she did not know what he was talking about.
“When these people are upset about specific things that have gone on from that table, like shooting the middle finger up at this court, and laughing and joking, Ms McNeil,” Judge Scherer said. “When these people have sat in this courtroom and watched this behaviour from that table and they want to say that they’re not happy about it, what is the problem?”
Mr Wheeler continued with his allegations, saying: “Judge, I can assure you that if they were talking about your children, you would definitely notice it.”
Judge Scherer then excused Mr Wheeler from the defence table, saying that he had been out of line.
“To try to threaten my children and bring up my children is inappropriate, go to the back of the room now. That just violated about every rule of professional responsibility,” Scherer also told Mr Weekes. “Go sit down. We are moving on with the sentencing.”
Cruz was formally sentenced to life in prison for the mass murder of 17 students and staff members. Ms Scherer sentenced the 24-year-old on Wednesday, at the end of two days of heartbreaking impact statements from victims and their families outraged that their loved ones’ killer has avoided the death penalty for his crimes.
Judge Scherer said that she visited the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School campus, and although tragedy and sadness were present, the community remained thriving thanks to their strength. She praised the loved ones of victims and survivors for supporting each other throughout their unimaginable loss, and thanked them for their composure during the emotional four weeks of trial.
“I know that doesn’t help at all and If I could take your pain or carry your pain for you, just for five minutes, so you could breathe, I would,” Ms Scherer said. “Because I can’t even imagine what you’re going through today.”
Cruz was sentenced to 17 life sentences without the possibility of parole, and 17 other life sentences with the possibility of parole after 20 years served. The 34 terms are to be served consecutively, Judge Scherer ruled.
