Cruz’s lawyers had told the judge and prosecutors they would call 80 witnesses, but rested at the start of Wednesday’s court session after calling only about 25. There were a total of 11 days of defense testimony, the last two experts emphasized how his birth mother was heavy alcohol use during pregnancy may have affected his brain development and led to the killing of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago. The sudden announcement by lead attorney Melisa McNeill led to a heated exchange between her and Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who called the decision without notice to her or the prosecution “the most callous, unprofessional way to try a case.” Story continues below ad The 12-member jury and 10 alternates were not present but lined up outside the courtroom to enter. The sudden announcement also meant prosecutors were not ready to begin their rebuttal case.

		Read more: Parkland shooting trial: See prosecutor’s arguments 		
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			Parkland shooting trial: See prosecutor’s arguments

Lead prosecutor Mike Satz raised his hands when Scherer asked if he could begin and, with a nervous laugh, said “no.” “We are expecting 40 more (defense) witnesses,” Satz said. Scherer then accused Cruz’s lawyers of being indifferent to everyone involved, but especially to the jurors for wasting their trip to court. “To have 22 people march into court and wait like it’s some kind of game. I’ve never experienced this level of unprofessionalism in my career,” Scherer said, raising her voice. McNeil angrily responded, “You’re insulting me on the record in front of my client,” before Scherer told her to stop. Scherer then fell for McNeill, with whom she has had a tentative relationship since the hearings began more than three years ago. “You’ve been insulting me throughout the trial,” Scherer barked at McNeil. “Arguing with me, walking out, being late on purpose if you don’t like my decisions. So, frankly, this is long overdue. So please sit down.” Story continues below ad Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to the killings of 14 Stoneman Douglas students and three staff members on Feb. 14, 2018. His trial, now in its second month, is only to determine whether he will be sentenced to death or life without parole. For a death sentence, the jury must be unanimous.

		Read more: Death penalty or life in prison: Parkland high school shooter trial before panel begins

After his lawyers rested, Cruz told Scherer that he agreed with the decision. “I think we’re good,” he said. Trending Stories

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When jurors were informed of the decision, several looked at the defense table, appearing surprised. Cruz’s lawyers have tried to show how his late mother’s alcohol abuse during pregnancy set Cruz on a lifelong course of erratic, strange and often violent behavior that culminated in the shootings. They also tried to show that his stepmother, Linda Cruz, was devastated after her husband died when Cruz was 5 years old. They called witnesses who knew his birthplace, Brenda Woodard, a Fort Lauderdale prostitute. They testified that she drank fortified wine and malt liquor and abused cocaine during her pregnancy. They called Cruz’s psychiatrists and psychologists and teachers from preschool, elementary and high school – all testified that he was a slow-growing child who hurt others, had frequent tantrums, made threats and had few friends. Story continues below ad 2:22 Nikolas Cruz Trial: Parkland School Shooting Survivor Shows Bullet Wound Scars Nikolas Cruz Trial: Parkland School Shooting Survivor Shows Bullet Wound Scars – July 21, 2022 The defense concluded its case by calling Dr. Kenneth Jones, one of the nation’s leading fetal alcohol experts, who said in his five decades of research that he had never seen a birth mother with more documented alcohol consumption than Woodard. She believes that Cruise’s doctors misdiagnosed him with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, meaning he never received proper treatment. But Cruz’s lawyers were expected to call his younger half-brother Zachary, who has been central to their case with witnesses accusing him of bullying his younger, frail brother. They also did not present witnesses from the school for behavioral problems Cruz attended and did not present witnesses to discuss his troubled days at Stoneman Douglas, where he was frequently searched for weapons. Two lawyers who attended the trial are stunned by the defense’s decision. “Wow. That’s shocking,” said David Weinstein, a Miami defense attorney and former prosecutor. He said maybe the defense was worried that the prosecution’s cross-examination of their witnesses was hurting their case, but “I’m surprised it didn’t there was testimony from his high school years or more about Cruz. Story continues below ad Robert Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern University’s law school near Fort Lauderdale, said the decision is difficult to understand. “Maybe the defense thought it was decided. Perhaps the defense felt they were losing the jury and other witnesses would just alienate the jury. “Maybe the defense felt that the witnesses being called would give the prosecution too much room to explore issues during cross-examination that the defense didn’t want explored,” Jarvis said.

		Read more: Parkland trial offers rare look at mass shooting victim, sparking ethics debate

However, he said Scherer’s dressing down of McNeil was not necessary. She has been a staunch critic of Scherer’s choice to oversee such a complex case — she had never tried a first-degree murder trial before being assigned Cruz’s trial. “It was the defense’s right to rest when it thought the time was right. Indeed, I have never heard of a judge essentially requiring a party to call all proposed witnesses,” Jarvis said. “This is just another example of Judge Scherer not being the right judge.” The defense is trying to overcome the prosecution’s case, which focused on killing Cruz as he stalked a three-story classroom building for seven minutes with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Satz played security video of the shooting and showed the rifle used by Cruz. Teachers and students testified that they saw others die. Story continues below ad Satz showed graphic autopsy and crime scene photos and took jurors inside the cordoned-off building, which remains bloodied and bullet-riddled. Parents and spouses gave tearful and angry statements about their loss. Prosecutors said it would take more than a week to prepare their rebuttal case. The trial is now scheduled to resume on September 27 and conclude the week of October 10. AP writer Freida Frisaro in Miami contributed to this report. © 2022 The Canadian Press