Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

[malaise]

The tears in the courtroom were unbearable
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/20/1047574452/parkland-nikolas-cruz-pleads-guilty-high-school

Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing 17 people — 14 students and three staff members — at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., avoiding a trial but setting up a fight over his punishment for the 2018 attack.

Cruz's defense team is hoping to avoid the death sentence that prosecutors are seeking.

Cruz, 23, faced 17 charges of first-degree murder and an additional 17 charges of attempted murder. He had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the crimes, but his attorneys recently said they would not contest his guilt. Instead, the group of public defenders who represent Cruz have asked the court to sentence him to 17 life sentences.

In court Wednesday, Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer read each murder victim's name aloud in court before asking Cruz how he wished to plead.

"Guilty," Cruz replied 17 times.

[msfiddlestix]

1. Any reporting on why it's taken four years to get to this plea hearing?

I don't understand what's taken so long.

[malaise]

3. I asked that same question

Why is this taking so long?

[msfiddlestix]

5. I caught a newsy report on this hearing this morning... no question or point raised by the reporter.

But Newsy streaming is dicey. Literally. They dice and slice with their editing to the extent of making the report nearly worthless.

[underpants]

2. No mention of Trump or his MAGA hat

In this article or the Sun Sentinel article I just saw.

[malaise]

4. They'd all love us to forget that

[underpants]

6. That would just be unfair for the poor suffering snowflakes.

❄️