FORT LAUDERDALE – Jurors are deliberating for a fourth working day in the trial of former Marjory Stoneman Douglas Superior Faculty source officer Scot Peterson who stayed outdoors through the 2018 massacre.
Condition prosecutors accuse Scot Peterson, 60, of ignoring his training and executing nothing at all as 17 people today, which includes 14 pupils, were being gunned down all through the deadliest higher university taking pictures in US record.
Peterson has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, which includes seven felony counts of little one neglect and a few misdemeanor counts of culpable negligence. He also faces a misdemeanor count of perjury for allegedly lying to investigators about the number of gunshots he listened to following arriving at the scene and about no matter whether he saw individuals fleeing the 1200 making.
The fees from Peterson reflect the deaths and injuries of 8 learners – 7 of them minors – and two university staff members on the third floor of the 1200 developing: Teacher Scott Beigel and college students Cara Loughran, Meadow Pollack, Joaquin Oliver, Jaime Guttenberg, and Peter Wang all ended up killed, although teacher Stacey Lippel and pupils Kyle Laman, Marian Kabachenko and Anthony Borges ended up wounded and survived.
Peterson was not billed in connection with the victims on the first ground simply because he experienced not but arrived on the scene. No one particular was killed on the next floor.
Peterson is accused of failing to confront the gunman and, as an alternative, getting go over for extra than 45 minutes exterior the school’s three-tale 1200 constructing right before the gunman was apprehended.
Protection attorney Mark Eiglarsh has emphasised Peterson was at the scene for the last 4 minutes and 15 seconds of the capturing, which lasted about 6 1/2 minutes. Peterson arrived at the scene without a bulletproof vest or rifle and identified as for measures to lock down the school, the legal professional informed jurors.
Peterson “remaining guiding an unrestricted killer to spend the subsequent 4 minutes and 15 seconds wandering the halls at his leisure,” Assistant State Legal professional Kristen Gomes claimed in closing arguments Monday. “Mainly because when Scot Peterson ran, he left young children trapped inside of the developing with a predator unchecked.”
Eiglarsh advised jurors that Peterson never ever understood wherever the shooter was and pointed to other witnesses who testified they could not slender down where the lethal photographs originated. The demo involved testimony from previous college students, staff, and users of legislation enforcement who supported the ex-deputy’s claim it was tough to listen to wherever the gunfire was coming from.
“Two dozen witnesses arrived in listed here just one by one and advised you they couldn’t convey to from the appears specifically what area we’re chatting about,” Eiglarsh reported in his closing argument Monday. And even if Peterson experienced regarded the place the shooter was, speculation he could have made a variation is wrong, Eiglarsh argued.
Jurors also listened to from witnesses who testified they realized the shots had been emanating from the 1200 creating, as well as legislation enforcement officers who testified their training dictated they move toward the audio of gunfire to confront a possible shooter.
If the jury finds Peterson not responsible of the 6 most significant prices – 2nd-diploma felony little one neglect, with up to 15 many years in prison for every count – they will have to contemplate whether he is responsible of lesser crimes.
They could instead discover him responsible of 3rd-degree felony baby neglect – with up to 5 decades in jail per rely – or culpable carelessness, a misdemeanor. Peterson also faces a distinct charge of 3rd-degree felony little one neglect, for which jurors much too could uncover him guilty of culpable negligence, and the perjury depend.
The case is unusual for the reason that prosecutors introduced the little one neglect costs below a Florida statute that governs caregivers, arguing Peterson as a school useful resource officer experienced a obligation to safeguard the students. The jury will have to decide if he qualifies as a caregiver, the court docket previously dominated over defense arguments he does not.
That jury, in the meantime, is made up of just 6 panelists. Florida regulation needs a dozen jurors only for funds circumstances, this sort of as that of the Parkland shooter, who is serving existence in jail without having parole after a jury declined previous year to unanimously propose the demise penalty.
