Commission: Florida judge over Parkland school shooting trial should be reprimanded

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida judge who oversaw the penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz should be publicly reprimanded for showing bias toward the prosecution, failing to curtail "vitriolic statements" directed at Cruz's attorneys by the victims' families and sometimes allowing "her emotions to overcome her judgement," a state commission concluded Monday.

The commission, composed of judges, lawyers and citizens, acknowledged that "the worldwide publicity surrounding the case created stress and tension for all participants." Scherer, a 46-year-old former prosecutor, was appointed to the bench in 2012 and the Cruz case was her first capital murder trial. Broward County's computerized system randomly assigned her Cruz's case shortly after the shooting.Broward County Public Defender Gordon Weekes declined comment.

Scherer also had frequent heated arguments with McNeill. Those boiled over for the first time when McNeill and her team suddenly rested their case after calling only a small fraction of their expected witnesses. Scherer called it "the most uncalled for, unprofessional way to try a case," though the defense has no obligation to call all of its witnesses or announce its plans in advance.

The two clashed again during Cruz's sentencing hearing in November over the verbal attacks some victims' family members made against the defense team during their courtroom statements. Scherer refused to curtail the statements and ejected one of McNeill's assistants, David Wheeler, after she wrongly interpreted one of his comments as a threat against her daughter.

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