Florida Supreme Court Issues Reprimand to Judge in Parkland School Shooting Trial

The Florida Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded Judge Elizabeth Scherer for showing bias toward the prosecution during the penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz. The Judicial Qualifications Commission found that Scherer violated several rules of judicial conduct, including unduly chastising the defense team, wrongly accusing one attorney of threatening her child, and embracing members of the prosecution after the trial. Scherer retired from the bench last month, and the court acknowledged the stress and tension surrounding the high-profile case but emphasized the importance of maintaining due process, order, and decorum in the courtroom.