Florida school massacre suspect’s jail brawl trial delayed
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The trial of the suspect in the 2018 Florida high school massacre for fighting a jail guard was delayed Monday because his lead lawyer has been hospitalized.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer ruled that jury selection in Nikolas Cruz’s trial on jail battery charges will now begin on Tuesday and testimony will begin Oct. 18, a week later than scheduled. Cruz’s primary public defender on the battery case, David Wheeler, has been hospitalized since last week with an undisclosed illness and will likely need several weeks to recover, according to court documents and courtroom discussion.
Cruz, 23, is charged with attacking a Broward County jail guard, Sgt. Raymond Beltran, in November 2018, nine months after authorities say he killed 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.