FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The first group of potential jurors in the trial of the Parkland school killer appeared in court Monday morning on the opening day of the trial to determine whether he gets the death penalty.
An initial group of 59 potential jurors was quickly whittled down due to time conflicts. Just 16 made it through the first round. Another two were checking with their employers. The remaining 41 were waiting to see if they should return to the general jury pool for assignment to other cases.
Nikolas Cruz, who has already pleaded guilty to murdering 17 people and wounding 17 others, sat at a table in the courtroom with his lawyers.
Among victims’ family members in the courtroom were Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed; Tom and Gena Hoyer, whose 15-year-old son Luke was killed; and Annika and Mitch Dworet, whose 17-year-old son Nicholas was killed.
“The matter before us today is the criminal case of the state of Florida vs. Nikolas Cruz,” the judge told a group of potential jurors. “The case stems from a school shooting which occurred on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Please understand that although you may be familiar with the case, you will not be excused for that reason alone.”
As Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer gave preliminary instructions to first group of 60 potential jurors, one woman in the group started crying.
The morning was devoted largely to hearing from potential jurors who raised their hands when asked if any had unavoidable time commitments that would prevent them from serving in a case that could last through September.
More than half of the potential jurors on the first panel raised their hands to say they would not be able to commit to the time needed for the trial. Most are citing their inability to miss work. Others are citing wedding and vacation plans. One potential juror said she had met Cruz before and was escorted from the courtroom.
Despite the gravity of the crimes, the day had its lighter moments. Several prospective jurors responded to the judge’s pleasantries by asking how she was doing. The judge congratulated a juror on the brink of earning a doctorate and expressed sympathy for another who is caring for a relative with Huntington’s disease.
Excuses for not being able to serve ranged from serious to baffling.
“I have my sugar daddy that I see every day,” one woman said.
“OK ... I’m not really sure what you mean,” Scherer said. The woman repeated herself. “I go to see my sugar daddy every day.” “OK, ma’am we’ll come back to you,” Scherer said. The woman was excused.
The trial is taking place in the building’s largest courtroom, with a maximum capacity of 265. An additional metal detector is set up on the 17th floor for an added layer of security.
The trial will determine whether Cruz gets the death penalty or life in prison without parole for the massacre at Marjory Stoneman High School.
The trial is expected to last through September, with the first two months devoted to finding jurors. About 1,000 potential jurors have been called for the initial round of screening, which will weed out jurors with unavoidable time commitments, obvious conflicts of interest and other issues that would prevent them from serving.
The trial requires 12 jurors, whose vote for a death penalty must be unanimous. Another eight will be selected as backups.
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