Broward prosecutors are renewing their call for more time to prepare for the penalty phase of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting trial, despite the judge’s reluctance to entertain any more delays.
Nikolas Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last fall to 17 counts of first-degree murder, but that did not end the case — prosecutors still have to convince 12 jurors that his crime deserves the death penalty, and the defendant’s mental health is likely to play a central role in the ensuing debate.
That means multiple expert witnesses are expected to testify about Cruz’s troubled childhood, the death of his adoptive father when he was young, the death of his mother in late 2017, and his struggles in school, with defense lawyers arguing that he deserves the mercy of a life sentence.
Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
