four. We’ll start right after theOnly if brands March USA. Good afternoon. We begin
with that breaking news a
verdict reached in the Scott
Peterson trial. Jury finding the
former school resource not
guilty on counts. Let’s get
right to our Christina Vasquez
live with the breaking details
from court. Christina cleared
all charges. That means this ex
school resource officer at
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Scott
Peterson, he walked into that
courtroom knowing that he was
facing potential more than 95
years in state prison if
convicted on all charges. And
within minutes, he learned
cleared of all charges the when
the jury came back and said,
knock and take a look at this as
the verdict forms being read by
the judge. Not guilty, not
guilty during those different is
when you really begin see
Peterson soaking that in
processing it and so much
emotion as his head is on his
table and he crying. And then
you also have his supporters and
family that were in the gallery
that are also visibly relieved.
I mean, they’re sobbing, sort of
a bittersweet sobbing and
relief. We also spoke with
Peterson just a short time ago.
Take a listen in to that
together with I Got My Life Back
. We’ve got our life. We’ve got
our life back after four and a
half years, five and a half
because of Mark we hope and
being able to put the truth out
of what happened. It’s an
emotional roller coaster for so
long. Endless nights, you know
you know talking to Mark one in
the morning, you know, trying to
understand and learn whole case.
It was unbelievable. It was
unbelievable. But don’t anybody
ever forget, this was a massacre
on. February 14th, the only
person to blame was that. And
that was certainly the defense.
But now take a look at. This you
have this juxtaposition while in
that courtroom. You have family
for Scott Peterson, as we just
established, sobbing with
relief. And right there you’re
looking at it. We have the two
fathers of Parkland murdered. So
you are looking at Tom Hoyer.
That was the father of Luke
Hoyer. And Tony Montalto, his
daughter Gina Montalto, both
their children died on the first
floor. All the charges, this
case actually stem from those
wounded, murdered on the third
floor. But dads of the Parkland
murdered had said over the last
couple of weeks that they wanted
to be here in support of all of
the Parkland family members that
were impacted by horrific events
of that day. You can imagine, as
you see their solemn, heavy look
disappointment keep the context
of their into focus. And what I
mean by that is ever since that
Valentine’s Day of 2018 they
will tell you they have spent
years seeking what they call a
count ability for everything
that that day. They did not the
outcome they had wanted the
Parkland school shooter you
remember and then this was the
and final trial related that
shooting in the criminal justice
system and of course this was
the Scott Peterson ex Parkland
deputy he was facing a total of
11 counts. Ten of the ten that
are for the wounded and murdered
on the third floor, seven were
felony child charges. A very
novel here by the state after
said he failed to confront
shooter. So let’s go ahead and
listen now to Tony Montalto so
you can their perspective of
what unfolded today for our
families. We still feel he
should be haunted every day by
his failure to act. I know that
he caused. He contributed that I
should say to the deaths of my
daughter, Gina, her schoolmates
and their teachers, his inaction
contributed to the and
devastation of students and
teachers at that school. His
Inaction contributed to the pain
of our entire community. And we
don’t understand how this jury
looked at the evidence that was
presented and found him not
guilty and guilty and was that
and he also said he can’t
believe he is once again on the
17th floor of this doing a is
giving statements to the media
once again a disappointment
about how the outcome of a
criminal justice case related to
the shooting and reason why it
flagged this as it’s very
interesting. You listen to both
parties, both of them pulling it
up 30,000 feet and having a
broader. So you have the defense
attorney in this case saying in
words, this is not just a
victory for my client. But you
heard him say for all law
enforcement, other stakeholders
that were really watching this
trial closely, teachers, day
care and daycare providers and
caregivers because of this idea
of having a school resource
officer being viewed within
state statute as, a caregiver.
And so you have the defense
attorney pulling 30,000 feet up
saying this is a broad look at
this is a victory. All law
enforcement, he said. And then
you have, Tony, which he goes on
to say take the truth to trials
together. He feels like for him
, the broad theme is what is it
going to take to get
accountability here in Broward
County? Both these parties kind
of looking at the outcome of
case within that, but pulling it
up to this broader context. So
that’s been interesting to
observe. We also just from the
father of Luke Hoyer, again, one
of the students murdered that
day on the first floor. And we
will be listening in to him
coming in a little bit. For now,
reporting live, Christina
Vasquez. Local ten is and
Christina, you mentioned the
reaction I mean we saw it off
live on TV the reaction from
Peterson crying and then his
team very elated at the outcome
and then the families Tony one
told him while he was speaking
you hear the Peterson team
cheering and he kind shook his
head and was very upset about
it. It’s been a long very
difficult five years for both
sides. Peterson and his team and
families. Christina and I’ll
take both of those great
observations. I’ll take them one
at a time. So put ourselves
collectively in the shoes of
Scott Peterson again. This is
days worth of deliberation by
the time they get to the point
where realize they have a
verdict. We’re about 19 hours in
over several days. We’ve in the
courtroom as members of their
family and some supporters have
been here and they’ve, quite
frankly, a nervous wreck. I
mean, he did not know what this
jury may be deciding, really
understood why was taking them
quite so long to deliberate. And
one thing that seems granular
now but super important given
outcome is those seven felony
counts the here had an option it
wasn’t just guilty or not guilty
on those they could have decided
a lesser charge either for
instance instead of a second
degree felony a third degree
felony or culpable negligence or
not guilty. So now you’re Scott
Peterson, you hear there’s a
verdict. You’d go into that
courtroom and you know that
there are all of those variables
. You find out one after one
that what have been living with
from his perspect over the last
couple of years is done. He gets
to walk out of here. I never
think about it again with clear
charges. The Parkland every they
have to wake up and remember
that their child’s not in this
world and so for them that will
always be difficult. Scott
Peterson relief for the families
, the Parkland victims. More