Florida School Shooting Suspect Statement To Be Made Public Except 'Substance'
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A Broward County judge has ordered that parts of the confession made to police by Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz should be released to the public, however, the "substance" of his confession will be excluded.
"All parties are in agreement that Florida law exempts from public disclosure the substance of a confession of a person arrested until the case is fully resolved in the trial court," wrote Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer in her decision. "As such, no substance of any confession that Defendant made to police during the instant interrogation is subject to public disclosure at this juncture."
Cruz's public defender had asked to keep the entire statement private, contending it would improperly influence jurors in his trial.
Judge Scherer disagreed and in her decision wrote: "Defendant has failed to demonstrate that preventing public disclosure of statement is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice. While it is true that this case has gained vast and widespread media coverage, this fact alone does not demonstrate that closure of the statement is required. The fact that the instant matter may be considered "high-profile," does not in itself give Defendant the right to close the flow of information to the public. No evidence was shown that public disclosure of the non-confession portions of the subject statement would result in a serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice in this case."
CLICK HERE TO READ THE JUDGE'S DECISION
Cruz's attorney now has 10 days to appeal the judge's order or it will be released.
Media organizations asked for the confession to be released under public records law.
Cruz faces the death penalty if convicted of the February 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people and also wounded 17 others. His attorneys say he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence, but prosecutors have rejected that offer.
The next status hearing in Cruz's criminal case is set for Aug. 15.