FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Hearings will be held Wednesday and Thursday before the start of the penalty phase for confessed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gunman Nikolas Cruz.
During the hearings, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will address any issues ahead of jury selection for the penalty phase of the case.
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The hearings will happen in the courtroom where the penalty phase will take place so the attorneys can become familiar with the technology.
Jury selection for the penalty phase is set to begin Monday, April 3rd.
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Cruz pleaded guilty in October 2021 to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.
Once jurors are selected, they will decide whether he is sentenced to death or to life in prison without parole.
For Cruz to be sentenced to death, the 12-member jury must unanimously agree. If one disagrees, he will receive a life sentence. Cruz’s defense team has tried to get the death penalty taken off the table to no avail.
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The penalty phase trial is expected to last at least two months.
