A new phase of jury selection getting underway Monday morning in the case of the Parkland school shooter, but things are moving very slowly.
The next phase in the jury selection for the sentencing of convicted mass murderer Nikolas Cruz began Monday morning.
Three potential jurors were asked specific questions about their feelings on the death penalty, as the parents of two of the victims observed the court proceedings.
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One prospective juror insisted she would have to weigh all the details of the case before deciding the fate of the 23-year-old who has pleaded guilty to 17 murders and 17 attempted murders in the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
"I'm not opposed to the death penalty law, but unfortunately I don't know the circumstances of the case,” she said. “So, I have to know more."
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She was retained. The next juror was not.
She was excused after saying she believed the death penalty may be warranted in a case like this.
"It's not the only [punishment] but it's the most reasonable,” she said. “Sort of an eye for an eye."
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The third juror questioned echoed the first saying he needed to know more facts about the case before making a life-or-death decision.
"For me to express my personal thoughts or knee-jerk reaction without knowing all the facts would not be fair,” he said.
Six more jurors were expected to go through direct questioning Monday.
Lawyers for both sides want to know how each person will weigh the aggravating and mitigating circumstances surrounding the mass shooting.
Nearly 400 jurors were chosen from more than 1,600 screened in the first phase that began April 4.
They were split into seven groups designated A through G, initially, but their numbers have been reduced further through questionnaires they filled out.
The sentencing trial is expected to last through October once 12 jurors and eight alternate jurors are chosen. The dozen will have to decide whether Cruz lives or dies for his crimes.
Click here for complete coverage of the Parkland school shooting jury selection
