Jury Said To Be Sworn In For Parkland Shooter’s Death Penalty Trial

Topline

A 12-member jury was sworn in Wednesday for the upcoming death penalty trial for convicted Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz, according to the Associated Press, after Cruz’s 2018 rampage at the Parkland, Florida, school sparked nationwide protests for gun control.

Key Facts

The jury consists of seven men and five women, according to AP, with at least five being gun owners.

Cruz pleaded guilty in April to 17 counts of first-degree murder as part of an apparent legal gamble to avoid the death penalty, but prosecutors decided to still move forward with the penalty phase of Cruz’s trial.

The jurors’ swearing-in concludes a nearly three-month process involving more than 1,800 candidates, which was continually beset by delays.

In April, the judge overseeing the trial removed an entire 60-member panel of potential jurors after a series of emotional outbursts from candidates when they heard they might be placed on the Parkland case.

Opening statements are set for July 18.

Key Background

Cruz, 23, killed 14 students and 3 staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School using an AR-15 rifle on February 14, 2018, leading to the usual national outrage over gun violence. This time, however, several of the survivors, along with victims, went on to lead the March for Our Lives to urge legislative action on gun control. Around 2 million people took part in demonstrations across the country in 2018, but the federal government did not enact new gun laws. Renewed March for Our Lives protests took place this year on June 11, following a massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and 2 teachers dead. On Saturday, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun control bill into law, marking the most significant new gun restrictions the federal government has enacted in decades.

What To Watch For

Florida Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will allow jurors to tour the three-story building on Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ campus where Cruz carried out the massacre. The death penalty trial will involve the state arguing “aggravating” factors to support a death sentence, while the defense will present “mitigating factors.” If Cruz is not given the death penalty, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Further Reading

Florida jury sworn in to determine school shooter’s penalty (Associated Press)

Court Struggles To Assemble Jury In Death Penalty Trial For Parkland Shooter (Forbes)

Biden Signs Gun Control Bill Into Law: ‘Lives Will Be Saved’ (Forbes)

In Photos: Protesters Pack Streets In Rallies Across U.S. Demanding Gun Control (Forbes)

Parkland Massacre Shooter Nikolas Cruz Pleads Guilty—But Could Still Get Death Penalty (Forbes)