Parkland, Florida - School Shooter Inheritance Battle Erupts

In the midst of national grief over the school shooting rampage at Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a further legal battle has ensued about the handling of Nikolas Cruz’s inheritance from his late mother.

This is important as it would settle the question whether Mr Cruz is entitled to receive free representation from the public defender or, if he stands to gain the inheritance, must hire a private lawyer.

Since his arrest after the shooting spree, Mr Cruz has been represented by the Broward County Public Defender’s Office.

Boca Raton attorney Ms Audra Simovitch has therefore filed a petition in Broward County probate court, asking to clarify this matter as soon as possible.

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Newly released jail records show accused Stoneman Douglas shooter Nikolas Cruz remains in solitary confinement. He broke out in laughter after a &quot;professional visit.&quot; And he asked an officer for a Bible to read. <a href="https://twitter.com/wsvn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wsvn</a> <a href="https://t.co/eXD4S9zTNP">pic.twitter.com/eXD4S9zTNP</a></p>&mdash; Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianEntin/status/971239665880662016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>

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19 year old Mr Nikolas Cruz walked into the school armed with a semi-automatic rifle and began randomly firing into classrooms on 14 February of this year, murdering 14 students and three educators during his killing spree. He therefore faces 17 counts of murder and in order for the national grief to be dealt with, it is imperative that proceedings move fast.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As Nikolas Cruz, the Florida shooting suspect, spends his days behind bars, his future is undecided.<br><br>Legal experts weigh in as we take a closer look at the potential next steps for the teenager accused of gunning down 17 people in the school massacre. <a href="https://t.co/uZFpEeHVXM">https://t.co/uZFpEeHVXM</a> <a href="https://t.co/h8XBnvnMJI">pic.twitter.com/h8XBnvnMJI</a></p>&mdash; ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/970979260277116928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Young Mr Nikolas Cruz had informed the family he was living with prior to the shootings that he would be receiving an $800,000 trust fund in two years.

Simovitch’s motion alleges that Ms Deschamps, (the friend of Mr Cruz’s deceased mother who cared for him and his younger brother) “had scolded counsel for not probating the estate quick enough prior to the arrest of Nikolas’’ and furthermore that “even if Nikolas Cruz has assets available to him from his mother’s estate, which would require him to retain private counsel, she would never agree to him being represented by anyone other than the public defender.’’

According to court records, the estate which the suit refers to was worth an estimated $1 million at the time of Mr Roger Cruz (Nikolas Cruz’s father) in 2004.

Source:

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/257923-sunburn-morning-read-whats-hot-florida-politics-3-7-18