Accused Parkland School Shooter Back In Court

Defense attorneys for accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz waived his right to a speedy trial during a court hearing Friday afternoon. The speedy trial rule requires that a felony defendant go to trial within 175 days of arrest unless it’s waived.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer also set a May 4 deadline for defense lawyers to file a demand for evidence from prosecutors.

Scherer set another hearing date for May 25. A trial date has not been set.

Cruz, 19, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14. He is also charged with 17 counts of attempted murder.

Defense attorneys say Cruz will agree to plead guilty if prosecutors will seek life without parole rather than the death penalty. But prosecutors say they are planning to seek the death penalty.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Susan Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool