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Criminal Law (Darryl Brown)
Resource 4 . 1 . 1 .
6 minutes

Practice: Charges against Deputy in 2018 Parkland School Shooting

Darryl Brown

Based on the following materials, assess the arguments for and against liability for former Broward County sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson arising from the 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Does Peterson's conduct, or inaction, meet the requirements of the statutes under which he is charged? Does his mens rea, or mental state, meet the statutes' requirements? Even if there is a plausible case for guilt, should Peterson have been charged, given that prosecutors always have discretion not to file charges even when they have sufficient evidence to prove guilt?

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