Florida Grand Jury In Parkland Mass Shooting Seeks More Time
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A statewide grand jury impaneled after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland is seeking more time to finish its work.
The office of Statewide Prosecutor Nicholas Cox filed a petition last week at the Florida Supreme Court asking for a six-month extension of the term of the grand jury.
Shortly after taking office in 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Supreme Court to impanel the grand jury to investigate school-safety issues, a request that was granted by the court. The statewide grand jury began meeting in June 2019 for what was expected to be a 12-month period.
But the grand jury proceedings had to be suspended this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, leading to an extension of the term to October 16.
"The statewide grand jury has diligently investigated the issues identified by this honorable court's order (impaneling the grand jury), several of which have required evidence from every county in the state," the petition for more time said. "Despite diligent efforts --- including the issuance of two interim reports --- a significant amount of work remains in order to fully and completely investigate the subjects identified by this honorable court in its impanelment order."
If the six-month extension is approved, it would allow the panel to continue its work until April 17, 2021.
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