The judge presiding over the sentencing hearing for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz got into a heated spat with a member of his counsel and ordered the dismissal of Chief Assistant Public Defender David Wheeler on Tuesday.
Florida-based Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer condemned Wheeler after he stood up and asked her to lower the temperature and animosity from statements made by families and friends of the 17 victims Cruz killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018.
“Sit down and move on,” Scherer said.
“For them to comment on my children is highly improper,” Wheeler said in response before Scherer interjected and said she didn’t recall any statements made about the defense attorney’s children.
Chief assistant public defender David Wheeler addressed a victim family member bringing up the defense attorneys’ children. Judge Scherer said she didn’t hear it, Wheeler said she would have heard it if it were her children being brought up. Scherer then lost it. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/Q3KOuA5HtR
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) November 1, 2022
WATCH: NIKOLAS CRUZ SENTENCING HEARING BEGINS WITH VICTIM STATEMENTS ‘BURN IN HELL’
Wheeler then said Scherer would “definitely notice it” if they were “talking about your children.”
“You’re out of line,” Scherer snapped back with her voice raised. “In fact, your excuse is you need to go sit in the back …” she added.
“To try to threaten my children, and bring up my children, is inappropriate,” she said. Wheeler’s boss, Gordon Weekes, attempted to defend the attorney but was shot down just as quickly.
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Scherer later ended the trial for the day, as many more victim testimonies are expected to be heard Wednesday before she announces the sentence.
Numerous testimonies on Tuesday expressed outrage that a jury last month voted to hand Cruz, now 24, a life sentence rather than the death penalty after his defense argued their client sustained mental and cognitive damages during his youth.
