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Parkland jurors must manage trial stress on their own

School Shooting Florida Juror Stress Nikolas Cruz
Posted at 1:29 PM, Jul 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-02 13:29:37-04

The 12 jurors chosen this past week to decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz is executed will be exposed to horrific images and emotional testimony, but must deal with any mental anguish alone.

The jurors and their alternates will tour the bloodstained building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland where Cruz murdered 17 in 2018. They will see graphic security videos of teens being shot point-blank. They will hear tearful testimony from survivors and parents. And they will be told not to talk about any of it with anyone. If jurors need help, they are on their own.

Florida and most states do not provide post-trial mental health counseling.