Parkland Shooter Case Still Stands

A year after, Nikolas Cruz massacred 17 people and injured 17 in the Parkland shooting the question isn't whether he's guilty or not, it's whether he lives or dies. "His defense team has offered a guilty plea in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole, but only if prosecutors take the death penalty off the table." Out of the top ten violent shootings, Cruz has been the only one to be captured alive.

Cruz's attorneys have been have been gathering dozens of witnesses to give statements under oath. These sessions happen behind close doors and only Cruz's attorneys can listen in not even Cruz himself can attend. This trail is going to be inevitably long because death penalty cases take a long time. "The process itself has three stages. The current pretrial stage, where the discovery is conducted; the guilt phase, where the trial is conducted; and if convicted as charged, the penalty phase where a jury determines whether to impose the death penalty or not." Death penalty cases can take at least two years to go to trial. 

Cruz's defense team has made it clear that they do not want a lengthy death penalty trial. That's why his team is offering his client's guilty plea in exchange for 34 life sentences without parole. This would let the victims not have to relive this devastating day. This would end the extensive legal process that could last decades if there is an appeal. 

"Some Marjory Stoneman Douglas students are conflicted on the possibility of a death penalty trial." Some students say it may be a good thing for Cruz to get the death penalty, however some students are totally against it. Finding jurors has also been a struggle because any person who is opposed to the death penalty has to be taken out of the running to be a juror. Finding the perfect jury might take weeks or months depending on where the trial is held. Finding people who will be fair and impartial is another struggle in this vicious crime. Florida's death penalty law requires the jury's decision to be unanimous. If one of the 12 jurors dissents, the defendant must be sentenced to life without parole.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/12/us/nikolas-cruz-trial-a-year-later/index.html