Judge keeps death penalty on the table for man accused of killing Brevard County deputy

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Attorneys for the man accused of gunning down and killing a Brevard County deputy failed to get the death penalty off the table.

24-year-old Brandon Bradley appeared in court Thursday for the first time in a year for charges that he killed  Deputy Barbara Pill in 2012.

Most of the motions were dispatched quickly, including the one to preclude capital punishment.

“There has to be a balancing of the defendant’s rights versus the state’s rights and the rights of the survivors,” Randy Moore, Bradley’s assistant public defender, said.

Moore also attempted to call into question the constitutionality of portions of Florida statute, but the judge didn’t buy it.

The defense’s attempt to object to the death qualification of a jury was also denied, but it had better luck with its motion to demand disclosure of any favorable evidence. There was particular concern about statements made by Bradley’s co-defendant, Andria Kerchner.

She became a state witness in exchange for her testimony and is going to eventually receive a deal for a specific sentence.

The defense told the judge it wanted to make sure it and the defendant had access to everything Kerchner has told the state.

With no objection from prosecutors, the motion was granted.

The judge will continue to hear the rest of the defense motions in the case on Tuesday

WFTV