Parkland jurors must manage trial stress on their own

By TERRY SPENCER
Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The 12 jurors chosen 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. During the trial that starts Monday, 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.