>>> WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS. NIKOLAS CRUZ ENTERING A GUILTY PLEA WITH THE ATTACK ON THE
JAIL GUARD.
HE WILL CHANGE HIS PLEA IN
CONNECTION WITH THE 2018
MASSACRE THAT KILLED 17 PEOPLE
IN PARKLAND.
>> WE’RE GETTING REACTION FROM
INSIDE THE COURTROOM AND
PARENTS YEARS AFTER THE DEADLY
SCHOOL SHOOTING.
WE HAVE COVERAGE WITH CRUZ AT
THE COURTHOUSE AND PARKLAND.
>> Reporter: THIS WAS A BIG
DEVELOPMENT.
THE TESTIMONY FOR THE TRIAL WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE NEXT WEEK AND
JURY SELECTION ON MONDAY.
TODAY, NIKOLAS CRUZ AND THE
TEAM DECIDED TO PLEAD TO THE
COURT AND THE JUDGE.
THIS IS RELATED TO THE 2018
CAUGHT ON CAMERA BSO JAIL GUARD
ATTACK.
THAT WAS NINE MONTHS AFTER THE
SHOOTING.
LET’S LISTEN IN TOGETHER.
>> IN CASE NUMBER 181-4129,
COUNT 1 OF THE INFORMATION
ATTEMPTED AGGRAVATED BATTERY.
HOW DO YOU WISH TO PLEAD?
>> GUILTY.
>> BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER, HOW DO YOU WISH TO
PLEAD?
>> GUILTY.
>> DEPRIVING AN OFFICER OF
PROTECTION, HOW DO YOU WISH TO
PLEAD?
>> GUILTY.
>> USE OF SELF-DEFENSE WEAPON
AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENTER?
, HOW DO YOU WISH TO PLEAD?
>> GUILTY.
>> Reporter: AS THE JUDGE
ACCEPTS THE PLEA HE WAS
COMPETENT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE
UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS WAIVING
RIGHTS DOING THIS WHICH
INCLUDES THE RIGHT TO APPEAL.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THE REASON THE
STAKES WERE SO HIGH FOR THIS
FELONY CASE IS BECAUSE, THERE
WAS A CONVICTION THEN THE CASE
IS USED AN AGGRAVATE FACTOR IN
THE UPCOMING PENALTY PHASE OF
THE DEATH PENALTY TRIAL RELATED
TO THE PARKLAND SHOOTING.
THERE ARE FOUR GUILTY ON FOUR
COUNTS.
IT MEANS RIGHT NOW WHEN THE
PROSECUTION GOES IN.
THE PENALTY PHASE OF A DEATH
PENALTY TRIAL IS TYPICALLY THE
SECOND SECTION.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.
THE DEFENSE TEAM ANNOUNCING
THAT ON WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK,
THEY WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU SAW
HERE, THEY WILL DO FOR ALL OF
THE CHARGES RELATED TO THE
INDICTMENT FOR THE PARKLAND
SHOOTING.
THEY WILL AGAIN PLEAD TO THE
COURTS GUILTY ON THOSE.
THAT TRIGGERS THEN THE START OF
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SECOND
PHASE IN THE TRIAL.
WE TALK ABOUT A PENALTY PHASE
AND A DEATH PENALTY TRIAL,
THINK OF IT LIKE A MINI TRIAL
THERE IS EVIDENCE PRESENTED A
12-MEMBER JURY.
THEY WILL ULTIMATELY BE ASKED
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER NIKOLAS
CRUZ SHOULD PAY FOR THE CRIMES
WITH HIS LIFE.
NOW, WHEN YOU GET TO THAT
MOMENT, THERE WILL BE A MOMENT
WHERE ALL THE JURORS ARE
THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE
EVIDENCE THAT WAS PRESENTED AND
AGGRAVATE FACTORS AND
MITIGATING FACT FACTORS.
THE DEFENSE TEAM WILL HAVE
MITIGATING AND MAKE THIS
IMPORTANT DECISION TO SAY,
YES.
BUT CONSIDER THE OTHER THINGS.
ANALYSTS SAY THEY WILL WANT
THEM TO CONSIDER THE AGE AND
STATE OF MIND AND THE
PROSECUTION SAY YES, BUT,
CONSIDER AGGRAVATE FACTORS.
HAVING A PRIOR CONVICTION LIKE
WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED ONE OF
THOSE AGGRAVATE FACTORS AND
THEY WILL PRESENT TO A JURY TO
SAY IN ADDITION TO THE CRIMES
COMMITTED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT THIS IS WHY
WE THINK THAT HE SHOULD PAY FOR
THIS WITH HIS LIFE.
WE TALKED WITH AN ATTORNEY.
LET’S LISTEN TOGETHER.
>> THE PUBLIC DEFEND REMEMBERS
DOING THIS FOR ONE REASON ONLY
THEY BELIEVE IT IS IN CRUZ’
BEST INTEREST, THEY WOULD NOT
DO IT OTHERWISE.
THEY BELIEVE IT INCREASES THE
CHANCES HE GETS LIFE AS OPPOSED
TO DEATH.
THERE ARE ARGUMENTS THEY COULD
MAKE IN THE PENALTY PHASE THEY
COULD SAY LOOK HE ACCEPTED
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HE
TID.
WE DIDN’T PUT YOU THROUGH A
LONG TRIAL.
THEY ARE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE
AMOUNT OF GORE AND DETAILS THE
EVIDENCE OF THE HARD NATURE
THAT WORKS TO THEIR BENEFIT.
>> THIS IS THE SAME JURY THAT
WOULD HAVE SAT THROUGH THE
GUILTY PHASE BEFORE IT MOVED IN
AND NEXT WEEK THEY GO IN AND
PLEAD TO THE COURT AND HAVE A
JUDGE ACCEPTANCE THE GUILTY
PLEAS.
THEY ARE MIT MITIGATING BEING
EXPOSED TO WHAT IS ANTICIPATED,
WE SAW IT AS A COMMUNITY VERY
HARROWING AND RELIVING THAT
THROUGH THE PENALTY PHASE.
WHERE THE JUDGE LEFT IT.
THEY WILL RECONVENE AND THE
PLAN FOR JURY SELECTION FOR
THAT.
SHE HAS ALL ALREADY ISOLATE ED
15 DAYS FROM NOVEMBER TO
DECEMBER AND THE DEFENSE
PUSHING BACK SAYING THEY WOULD
NOT BE READY.
THAT WILL BE IN DEVELOPMENT.
>> AND STILL A LOT OF STEPS TO
HAPPY IN THE PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON
THAT FOR US.
>> AND WE LAWN TO THE REPORTER
ANDREW PEREZ.
>> AND WAS IN THE COURTROOM
WHEN THAT WAS ENTERED.
AND THIS IS THE MOST WE HAVE
HEARD NIKOLAS CRUZ SPEAK.
AND IT IS EERIE AND WE ONLY
HEAR FROM HIS ATTORNEYS.
>> WHAT WE HEARD THEM BALK
ABOUT WAS COMPETENCY AND STOOD
IF HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS GOING
ON.
AS THIS MORNING HE UNDERWENT AN
EVALUATION AND HE HAS BEEN
UNDERGOING THE EVALUATIONS
WHILE IN JAIL.
WHAT WAS INTERESTING.
SHE WANTED TO SEE HIS FACE AND
RAISE HIS HAND AND TALK ABOUT
IF HE HAS BEEN ON MEDICATION.
AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF
CHANGING THE PLEA WHAT THAT
MEANS FOR THE TRIAL AS WELL.
I WANT TO YOU TAKE A LISTENS OF
WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> DO YOU SUFFER FROM ANY
PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ILLNESS?
, I WAS TOLD IN THE PAST BUT I
DO NOT BELIEVE.
>> WHAT WERE YOU HOLD.
>> -- TOLD?
>> I HAD ANXIETY, NO FORMAL
DIAGNOSIS.
>> NO FORMAL DIAGNOSIS.
, HE SAID THAT HE THINKS THAT
HE IS FINE, THERE IS NOTHING
THAT HE THINKS IS WRONG WITH
HIM BUT SAID THAT OTHER PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN TELLING HIM THAT HE’S
DEPRESSED AND SUFFERS FROM
ANXIETY.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM