Nikolas Cruz's medical records an issue
Lawyers for Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz said Friday that his confidential medical records were improperly disclosed to a state investigative panel by someone in the Broward Sheriffs Office.
The attorneys asked Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer to hold another hearing on whether the sheriffs office should be held in contempt of court for providing the records to the state commission investigating the shooting. They say access was limited by Scherers court order to only certain authorized investigators and prosecutors in the criminal case.
Not only is it a violation of the court order, but its a violation of federal law, said Cruz attorney Melisa McNeill, referring to federal protections of medical and mental health records. The law encourages people to get treatment knowing that those records will be kept confidential.
Sheriffs office attorney Christian Tsoubanos said there was no intent to violate any court orders or federal law, and hes been unable to determine who at the agency may have given the records to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.
Read more: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/285883-nikolas-cruzs-medical-records-an-issue