Judge Grants Probation Again For Confessed Parkland Gunman's Brother
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Zachary Cruz walked out of the Broward County Jail Thursday evening.
He remains on probation and received a warning from a judge that law enforcement is keeping a close eye on him. Cruz had little to say.
"I'm just happy to be free," he told reporters.
CBS4 News asked Cruz if he wanted to talk about his brother, confessed school shooter Nikolas Cruz or whether he feels he's being targeted by law enforcement and treated more harshly.
He didn't, but his lawyers did. They said Zachary's not guilty of much — other than being Nikolas' brother.
"You can't treat and trample somebody's constitutional rights because they're related to somebody who committed a heinous act," said attorney Mario Williams.
A group of attorneys filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Zachary's constitutional rights were violated when he was given a massive half million dollar bond for this arrest in March for misdemeanor trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The attorneys also claim that Zachary was mistreated while he was in custody at the Broward County Jail in March.
"He endured bright lights, a one-on-one guard that was watching him and a weighted a suicide restraint jacket until he accepted a plea deal so he could get out form underneath an excessive bail," said Williams.
We asked Broward Sheriff Scott Israel about the allegations but he had no comment.
Cruz's attorneys say Zachary was repeatedly mistreated at the jail but Sheriff's Office records show that Zachary Cruz only spent 4 days at the jail in March.
During his total of 10 days in custody, he was hospitalized for six of them under the state's Baker Act.
At a court hearing Thursday, Judge Melinda Brown gave Cruz some advice, as she considered his arrest earlier this week for violating his probation.
Investigators said Cruz drove with a suspended license and was on the grounds of a school, something his probation agreement prohibited.
But the judge in his case said that Cruz was only near a school not actually on the school grounds. The judge did have a warning for Cruz.
"They're watching you very closely and they're not going to give you any breaks because they're worried," she said.
Cruz's lawyer says his client learned his lesson.
"At this point I'm confident that Zachary will stay out of custody and out of jail and live a great life," said his criminal defense attorney, Mark Lowry.
