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Elizabeth Scherer
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Elizabeth Scherer was a judge of the Florida 17th Circuit Court.
This office is outside of Ballotpedia's coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Our scope includes all elected federal and state officeholders as well as comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population.
Scherer announced her resignation effective June 30, 2023.
Elizabeth Scherer is a judge of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. She was appointed by Governor Rick Scott on December 14, 2012, replacing retired Judge David Krathen.[1][2]
Scherer was re-elected without opposition in 2014, winning a six-year term that expires on January 4, 2021.[3][4]
Elections
2014
See also: Florida judicial elections, 2014
Scherer ran for re-election to the Seventeenth Circuit Court.
As an unopposed candidate, she was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.
[3]
Education
Scherer received her bachelor's degree from Florida State University and her J.D. from the University of Miami.[2]
Career
- 2012-2021: Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit Court
- 2001-2012: Assistant state attorney, 17th Judicial Circuit[1]
Noteworthy cases
Scherer presides over pretrial proceedings for accused Parkland shooter (2018-2020)
Scherer presided over the pretrial proceedings for the accused perpetrator of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. On January 8, 2019, Scherer declined to set a trial date for Nikolas Cruz, who confessed to the shooting and was charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus had asked Scherer to set a trial date for September: "We're coming up on the anniversary of this incident. Justice requires that this case be resolved as quickly as possible." Cruz's attorneys argued that they needed additional time to prepare for his defense. Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill said, "We have to do everything that we have to do and depose every witness so that we are effective in our representation to Mr. Cruz."[5]
On December 19, 2019, Scherer granted a request from the defense to delay the start date for Cruz's trial until the summer of 2020. The Miami Herald reported that Scherer stated, "The case is going to be tried this summer." The prosecution indicated that they would accept a May 2020 start date for the trial.[6] The trial was later postponed indefinitely due to court closures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.[7] In April 2021, Scherer told lawyers she expected the trial to start in September 2021.[8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sunshine State News, "Rick Scott Names Maltz, Scherer Circuit Court Judges," December 15, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Governor Rick Scott, "Governor Scott Appoints Elizabeth Scherer to the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court," December 14, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida Secretary of State, “Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election,” accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in Florida
- ↑ Daily Business Review, "Meet the Broward Judge at the Helm of the Parkland School Shooting Case," February 22, 2018
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Nikolas Cruz mass shooting trial delayed, may start in summer 2020," December 19, 2019
- ↑ WMUR, "Judge: Death penalty trial of accused Florida school shooter off indefinitely," June 23, 2020
- ↑ WPTV, "Judge tells lawyers to prepare for September start date in Parkland school shooting trial," April 22, 2021
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida
State courts:
Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court
State resources:
Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida
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