Florida Judge Reprimanded for Handling Parkland School Shooting Trial

The Florida Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who presided over the trial of Nikolas Cruz, the shooter responsible for the Parkland school shooting in 2018. The court found that Scherer violated judicial conduct rules by appearing partial to the prosecution, chastising defense counsel, and embracing victims and prosecutors after sentencing. Scherer resigned in June and had previously been removed from another death penalty case for similar behavior. The court emphasized the importance of judges maintaining due process, order, decorum, and impartiality.