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Florida school shooter gets life sentence for killing 17

33 Comments
By TERRY SPENCER

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33 Comments

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Look at Picture #4. Talking Heads said, 'You may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done???'.

He murdered many people, screwed up many lives of the survivors and threw his own into the trash can.

The defense alleged on cross-examination that Cruz was sexually molested and raped by a 12-year-old neighbor when he was 9.

Child rape is more common than most of us want to admit but that doesn't justify an action as hideous as this. No way, Jose.

Now this violent sociopathic PUKE has many years in the can to reflect about all the lives he took and altered. Now he can think and mumble to himself about his own life he threw away with this evil stunt. It'll be a long punishment before he gets his eternal justice in the next life.

Cruz will get life without parole.

Have a happy X number of years in the Big House, Nikolas Crud. You ain't going nowhere now and you did this to yourself.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

A miscarriage of justice, plain and simple. Now he gets three hots and a cot for sixty years or so on the taxpayers' dime. It's ironic how he just killed all these children in cold blood but their parents' tax dollars will help support his life. Their anger is more than justified.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I watched this trial on and off but the verdict last night was the worst of all.

I honestly believe that the judge was the only person in the court room that seem to ENJOY the attention, the media, the Cameras, the makeup, the hair splashing, and the torture of the victims families, the marshals, the lawyers, and everyone else in the room.

I believe the Jury handed this verdict in retaliation for the way the this judge has handled this case with little or NO RESPECT for everyone in the room.

It was a depressing experience for everyone in the room except the Judge

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

One more thing I wanted to add, I believe Mr. Cruz is guilty for ending the lives of 17 young and innocent people, but I also believe in the justice / Jury system and have faith in it, killing him will not change anything Mr. Cruz will have plenty of time to reflect on these murders which is even worse than death.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I honestly believe that the judge was the only person in the court room that seem to ENJOY the attention, the media, the Cameras, the makeup, the hair splashing, and the torture of the victims families, the marshals, the lawyers, and everyone else in the room.

I noticed that too. She’s not auditioning for a larger, more visible roll in public life, is she?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Let the victims’ families decide. If they want the killer to be executed, then why not? However, life in a U.S. maximum security prison would be a living hell for the rest of his life, and that would probably be worse than a quick death.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

“This animal deserves to die.

I understand the immense grief of these kids' families, but wishing for someone's death is just plain wrong.

The death penalty is deeply immoral and degrades a society's sense of justice.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I understand and to some degree agree with the standard arguments against the death penalty:

It is used disproportionately against minorities. It convicts the not guilty with terrible irreversible effect. It serves no deterrent effect.

The first 2 elements are not in evidence here. The convicted is not a minority, he got great counsel - he literally owes them his life today. And his guilt is not in doubt.

This verdict was a miscarriage of Justice. These were horrific crimes that the jury unanimously agreed were worthy of a death sentence. But (I’m speculating) one or maybe two jurors decided “I’m not giving the death penalty. I’ve made up my mind and nothing said in the jury room can change that.”

Again, I’m speculating, but likely due to a pre-determined determination against the death penalty. If so, the Juror or jurors were not honest during jury selection and should not have been serving in the first place.

I admit that the death penalty serves no deterrent purpose. And to people saying this and that the state should not kill under any circumstances, I have a different and admittedly unpopular counter-argument: Vengeance.

I would argue that vengeance, on behalf of the victims families, carried out by the state, is a valid function of the criminal justice system.

I’ve heard the defense’s claims of mitigation. The convicted had a tough life but was cognitive of what he was doing, and did it anyway.

He deserves death as much as anyone ever has. There are people of all demographics sitting on death row all over the country condemned to death for much less than what we KNOW, This guy did. If he doesn’t deserve death, nobody dies.

There’s a reason that he was guarded by a room full of armed guards: vengeful fathers such as myself.

The justice system failed the victims and their families.

I hope the families let the justice system have it at their final statements on November 1st.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Moch,how can this be a miscarriage of justice,the jury decided,if you are not ,an American,jury vote their conscious based on the fact,I think the verdict was reasonable

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Nemo,the judge had nothing to do with the verdict,but read the instructions,a judge can know you are guilty,they usually have no power to find you guilty

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Anybody, complaining about the jury,they did what the law said,they legal had to do,they are not their administer justice for the family,but the administration of what they feel is justice

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Since this tragic slaughter of young children, how has school security improved or the introduction of sensible gun laws?

How many children must be killed before changes are made?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

“This is insane. Everyone knows right? This is insane,” Chen Wang, cousin of shooting victim Peter Wang, said at a news conference after the jury’s decision was announced. “We need justice.”

I don't agree with this sentiment. More death is not justice. Justice is legislative changes to gun laws, to make sure these tragic events don't happen again in the future.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No way, that scumbag was saved from its just death penalty, at least not being on the streets anymore... Hopefully it rots inside...

Third world justice..

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

These families got million of dollars,I sat on a jury,it disrupt your life,it just like force slavery

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

It is the way the justice system works.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Justice was served base on the law, innocent people have been sentence to death, nobody want to serve jury duty ,all of you people that never served on a jury ,do not know the pressure these people are under

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Yrral

In Japan, there are no juries. Just 3-5 judges but I think the jury system is a better one. You only have to serve once n your life.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

They should've executed him very, very slowly.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Wallace,you can be summoned for jury duty,as many times as you are summoned,we have municipal,county state, federal Court,they always need bodies,if your in Harris county,and they need jury,they will snatch you off the street to serve

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Wallace,you can be summoned for jury duty,as many times as you are summoned,we have municipal,county state, federal Court,they always need bodies,if your in Harris county,and they need jury,they will snatch you off the street to serve

Yrral

Google "Punctuation Commas Spacing." Please.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

That was so so so UNFAIR! Murdering 17 people in cold blood and injuring others in an willfull attempt could escape death, unbelievable! Some girls wrote to him telling how much they admiring him, that was more insane!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You people that do not understand the duty of a jury, should not comment and sometimes the judge screwed up the trial by not letting certain evidence be taken before the jury

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Yrral

You people that do not understand the duty of a jury, should not comment and sometimes the judge screwed up the trial by not letting certain evidence be taken before the jury

That is why there is an appeals process.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Although prosecutors are not able to appeal a not guilty verdict, they are able to appeal when a judge hands down a criminal sentence that they do not believe meets the legal standards for what the law should impose for your particular conviction.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wallace, question a judge , judgement is the kiss of death for a lawyer, prosecutor have to go before the same judge everyday sometimes, judge are administration of the law,they say what can and cannot be admitted,they set bail and issue arrest warrant,it a very complicated jobs,they set trial date ,they can see as many as a hundred defendant in a day Google Docket Call

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Nemo,

If so, the Juror or jurors were not honest during jury selection and should not have been serving in the first place.

Can you explain that? Were they asked whether they would definitely impose the death penalty should the defendant be found guilty?

Certainly,

During jury selection in a death penalty eligible case, jurors are asked if they are willing to consider the death penalty and to choose it if the factors necessitating it are met.

This does not mean that they MUST choose the death penalty. It means that they must be willing to consider it if the aggravating factors are met as they were in this instance in all 17 cases.

Any potential juror who answers “I don’t believe in capital punishment and I will not impose a death sentence no matter the circumstances” is politely thanked and excused.

As I mentioned before, my opinion is based on circumstantial evidence. Some of the victims families have since given statements that they have heard the same through their own networks, but it is my supposition and I want to be honest about that.

I believe that 1 or more (rumor has it it was one who managed to bring 2 others along) jurors had decided not to impose a death sentence from the beginning evidence be damned.

That juror said on day one of deliberations “I vote no and there’s nothing you can say or do to change my mind.”

The other jurors likely knew this and gave up. There is simply no way from a time perspective to fairly evaluate 17 separate death penalty charges in 1 day. It cannot be done.

This juror or jurors basically lied during jury selection in order to serve and negate a death sentence.

Thats my opinion.

As to my feelings about the role of vengeance as a legitimate aim of the criminal justice system in death penalty cases, it’s my own and I won’t try to change anyone else’s mind.

But I’m a father of daughters the same age those kids would be today had they not been murdered. I feel that the criminal justice system failed their parents.

They have my sympathy and my admiration. If I were in their situation, I would be much less reserved about sharing my feelings.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I understand the immense grief of these kids' families, but wishing for someone's death is just plain wrong.

Nope, I think he should have received the death penalty, absolutely.

The death penalty is deeply immoral and degrades a society's sense of justice.

No, it deters and restores justice and let’s criminals and thugs no that there is a price to pay for taking another persons life. I wish they would bring back the electric chair.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The man is sick nd also the death penalty is sick, it goes back to a more barbaric time of an eye for an eye. Most of us and most nations have moved on from those beastly times.

‘For those complaining about the cost of putting the ghastly chap in prison for life, if he received the death penalty and made appeals, they generally cost more than paying for his life inside.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Great news. I’m surprised America has some form of compassion. The guy had serious health issues.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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