Motion Filed By DCF To Release Report On School Shooter From 2016
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Nikolas Cruz, charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, will not be appearing in a South Florida courtroom on Monday.
A scheduled hearing has since been cancelled, keeping the teen murder suspect behind bars.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has a motion pending for Monday, however, related to Cruz.
If passed, the motion will allow DCF to release their report on the 2016 investigation into Cruz's mental health, when he was still a juvenile.
On Sunday the DCF provided some information on the investigation and a statement from Secretary Mike Carroll:
In Florida, Adult Protective Services (APS) investigates if caregivers are committing abuse or neglect of adults per Chapter 415, Florida Statutes. These investigations determine if an adult is safe and has access to necessary services. APS does not take adults into custody. Also, only the court, a law enforcement officer, or a licensed clinician can initiate a Baker Act exam. In Florida, community mental health services are administered by providers independent of DCF and the state of Florida.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has not released any records related to [Cruz], because under Florida law, records of this nature are confidential per section 415.107, Florida Statutes. A court must order their release. Upon learning that we were in possession of records involving [Cruz] as an adult, DCF immediately started the process to ask a court to allow the release of all records in the spirit of full transparency. A hearing is set for Monday in Broward circuit court for a judge to review our petition for release.
"While the APS report related to this individual remains confidential pending a court order for release, we have reviewed the circumstances surrounding the 2016 case," Carroll's statement read. "Mental health services and supports were in place when this investigation closed. We look forward to Monday's hearing, where we will ask that these records are released so the public can have access to this important information."
