美国国家公共电台 NPR--Defense asks for more delay in Parkland trial following Uvalde shooting

Defense¹ asks for more delay in Parkland trial following Uvalde shooting

Transcript²

Jury selection is moving slowly for the gunman who pleaded guilty to killing⁴ 17 people at a Parkland, Florida high school. The defense also asked for a delay after the Uvalde, Texas school shooting.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Jury selection is moving slowly for a man who murdered 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla. This is not a trial over guilt³ or innocence⁵ because Nikolas Cruz has already pleaded guilty. Instead, it is a death penalty trial for the killings⁶ back in 2018. Now the defense wants a further delay because of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Here's NPR's Greg Allen.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE⁷: In one motion, Nikolas Cruz's lawyers asked that his trial be put on hold temporarily because of the, quote, "wave of emotion" surrounding the shootings in Uvalde. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in an attack that bears similarities to what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago. Cruz's lawyers say Uvalde already has, quote, "opened old wounds in Broward County." Because of that, they say they believe it's not possible for Cruz to get a fair trial now. The judge and prosecutors⁸ haven't responded yet to the defense motion. On Monday, six weeks after it got underway, jury selection in the Cruz trial hit another snag. Cruz's lead defense lawyer, Melissa McNeil, argued over the court's insistence⁹ that jury selection resume, even though another defense lawyer, a specialist in death penalty cases, was out sick and not able to attend. When the court insisted jury selection would resume nevertheless, McNeil responded.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MELISSA MCNEIL: Judge, at this time, the defense would move to withdraw from the case of state of Florida vs. Nikolas Cruz.

ALLEN: Judge Elizabeth Scherer wouldn't let McNeil withdraw from the case. McNeil said moving forward without a death penalty specialist in court would deny her client a fair trial.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCNEIL: I'm not comfortable going forward without him, judge.

ELIZABETH SCHERER: Well, you're going to have to.

MCNEIL: And my client - furthermore, my client...

SCHERER: Your client has the right to have a competent lawyer. Your client does not have the right to have every lawyer - five - there's nothing - there's no case law that says four or five lawyers have to be present at all times.

ALLEN: McNeil then asked Judge Scherer to remove herself from the case, saying she's biased¹⁰ against Cruz. The judge refused. It's the latest turmoil¹¹ in the sentencing trial that has been plagued by a series of miscues and delays that have now left it uncertain when a jury may be seated and decide whether the gunman gets death or life in prison.

Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

9 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

10 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

11 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。