IMPARTIALITY IN QUESTION

Florida Supreme Court Reprimands Judge Who Sentenced Parkland Shooter

Judge Elizabeth Scherer embraced members of the prosecution after handing down Nikolas Cruz’s life sentence.

Florida’s Supreme Court has reprimanded the judge who led sentencing proceedings against the Parkland school shooter for demonstrating favor toward prosecutors in the case. Adhering to a recommendation from the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission, the state’s highest court on Monday found that the judge, Elizabeth Scherer, breached judicial conduct rules when she hugged prosecutors after handing down Nikolas Cruz’s mandated life sentence, the Associated Press reported. Cruz, who murdered 17 people during a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, dodged the death penalty in that trial after a jury proved unable to unanimously recommend it. Scherer, who recently retired from her post, was previously blocked from overseeing other post-conviction proceedings after the Supreme Court found her actions gave the appearance of bias.