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| A Florida judge deferred a decision on the public release of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz's confession to police. File Photo via Broward County Sherif |
By Daniel Uria, UPI
A Florida judge on Monday deferred a decision on the release of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz's confession.
Broward County defense lawyers told Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that portions of Cruz's video-recorded statement to homicide detectives shouldn't be made public, as they could unfairly sway jurors.
Scherer said she will give the defense 10 days to appeal if a public release is approved.
[post_ads]Under Florida law a defendant's confession to police can't be released to the public until it is made public at trial or after the case is resolved.
However, statements that aren't deemed the "substance of a confession" and don't incriminate the suspect can be released.
Special assistant public defender David Frankel said "98 percent of [Cruz's statement] is the defendant discussing" the process of planning the shooting, carrying out the act and escaping from the campus.
Frankel added the coverage of Cruz, who killed 17 students and faculty members at the Parkland, Fla., school Feb. 14, has exceeded that of serial killers Ted Bundy, Aileen Wuornos and Daniel Rolling, all of whom were executed.
"Rolling, Bundy and Wuornos did not result in constant, 24-hour day and night coverage," he said. "There has never been a case in the state of Florida like this."
Dana McElroy, an attorney representing various South Florida news outlets, said it is "the public's right to understand how 17 people were murdered at this school."
"There is not a single shred of evidence presented to this court that shows anything will be prevented if this court obscures access to these records," McElroy said.
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