Under state law, the public defender can only represent defendants who cannot afford private attorneys. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder arising from the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, said their office learned about the insurance policy this week. “We are asking to withdraw from the case because the defendant is no longer poor.”But Cruz may not get the money. Lynda Cruz died of pneumonia in November 2017, three months before the shooting, leaving behind Cruz and his younger brother, Zachary.

Source: National Post April 24, 2019 20:43 UTC