Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) says the recommendation Thursday by a jury to sentence Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz to life in prison rather than the death penalty was the wrong one.
“The state of Florida has executed people in our history who have committed really dastardly crimes, but crimes that didn’t reach this level of carnage, and yet somehow he’s going to be living off taxpayer expense for what? 50 years? 60 years?” DeSantis told reporters at a news conference Friday.
Last fall, Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The jury came to its recommendation of life in prison on the second day of deliberations.
DESANTIS CAMPAIGN CLAPS BACK AFTER VP SAYS IAN AID WILL BE ‘BASED ON EQUITY’
DeSantis says prosecutors are pursuing a tougher sentence with the jury, and he’s in favor of using all legal tools to do that.
“If you have something like capital punishment available in a case like that, it has got to be administered. That just shows how the community views the severity of the offense. And I think it was 100% appropriate punishment,” the Florida governor said.
“Did you have jurors that were just never going to do this, no matter what? That’s not the way this system is supposed to work,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
DeSantis also criticized the length of time it has taken to have this case resolved, saying it should’ve been handled in “months, not years.”
“When you have 4 1/2 years that go into this, for what? Everybody knew that he did it. And I’m not saying he doesn’t get a lawyer or process, but OK, what are you going to contest in this?”
The governor’s comments follow reports that prosecutors want law enforcement to interview a juror who says she was threatened by another juror during deliberations.
The sentencing for Cruz is scheduled for Nov. 1.
