Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Wednesday, Judge Elizabeth Scherer reversed a plea of ‘standing mute’ to ‘not guilt’ for prime suspect Nikolas Cruz in February 10th Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) shooting in Parkland, Florida. While media outlets won a court petition on Monday releasing police radio and surveillance video recordings gaining better understanding of the sequence of events.

Cruz, 19, is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Cruz’s alleged assault lasted seven-minute shooting claiming 17 lives and injured 17 others. After suspect Cruz was read his Miranda Rights, he confessed to officers that he had committed the shooting.

A March 8, 2018 pre-arraignment hearing, Cruz’s public defenders entered a ‘standing mute’ plea. According to Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill, “We’d just like to advise the court and the state of Florida that at any time Mr. Cruz is willing to enter a plea of guilty on all 34 counts consecutive life sentences in exchange for the waiver of the death penalty.”

Florida prosecutor Michael J. Satz is seeking capital punishment for sentencing. Satz went on to says, “[this] type of case the death penalty was designed for.” For a capital punishment sentence, a jury must unanimously agree. If Cruz goes to trial, the defense could show police, medical, and school records with behavioral testimony by witnesses and videos showing diminished capacity from anger impulse impairment disqualifying him from capital punishment.

Inside the court, Cruz appears docile in an orange standard issued prison jump suit with handcuffs extending around his waist. Leg irons were also used with a personal security detail and extra security scrutiny for courtroom audiences. During the court proceeding he is looks at the ground.

Behind bars, Cruz was admitted initially to the infirmary and later placed in administrative segregation as a protection measure. Officers describe him as “quiet demeanor”, “follows commands”, and “talks softly”. There is one documented incident of Cruz giggling and laughing for 22 minutes, the cause unknown. Cruz’s sleep patterns were recorded where he appeared to be sleeping but his eyes were open and moves often during sleeping hours. He has been sitting on his bed and steering into the wall with his eyes closed relaxing as opposed to sleeping. Cruz’s medical treatment has never been released, patients with impulse control issues can be prescribed (a)typical-antipsychotics (like: Seroquel, Throizene and Holdol) and antipsychotics (like: Luvox, Prozac, or Anafranil). Side effects the general categories are sleepy appearance, unusual attention to something, and/or weight gain.

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