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Confusion reigns as school shooter's jury selection moves on

Opening statements now may not begin until June
Nikolas Cruz holds his glasses during penalty phase of murder trial, April 13, 2022
Posted at 1:50 PM, Apr 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-15 13:50:44-04

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Confusion reigned as jury selection in the death penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz concluded its second week with no immediate end in sight.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer united prosecutors and defense attorneys in protest over her plans for concluding the lengthy process that is picking the panel.

The jurors will decide if Cruz is executed for murdering 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018.

That confusion and other issues means opening statements in Cruz's penalty trial likely will move from May 31 to mid- or late-June.

The trial has already been delayed at least two years by the pandemic and other legal issues.