Florida Supreme Court reprimands judge for conduct in Parkland 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 governing judicial conduct, including unduly chastising the defense team, wrongly accusing one attorney of threatening her child, and improperly embracing members of the prosecution after the trial. Despite the stress and tension surrounding the case, judges are expected to ensure due process, order, and decorum. Scherer retired from the bench last month.