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Hearing rescheduled for Parkland shooting suspect's contact with guard

Posted at 6:37 AM, Jan 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-16 14:20:06-05

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A hearing has been delayed on whether Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz should still be supervised by a corrections officer he's accused of assaulting.

RELATED: Cruz's defense seeks evidence from school shooting commission | Broward County Sheriff suspended over handling of Parkland shooting | MSD Commission recommends arming teachers

The hearing set Wednesday was postponed because a court reporter became ill. It was reset for Friday.

Cruz's lawyers want a judge to stop Cruz from being supervised by Sgt. Raymond Beltran. Cruz is segregated from other prisoners and is under close watch at the Broward County Jail.

Authorities say Cruz attacked Beltran in November amid increasing friction between the two and faces several felony charges.

The 20-year-old Cruz could get the death penalty if convicted in the Valentine's Day shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

His lawyers say he would plead guilty in exchange for life in prison.