JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The defense attorney representing Demaurea Grant, the man charged with the 2024 murder of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office corrections officer Bradley McNew, is asking for the victim’s occupation to be excluded during the trial.
The defense’s argument behind the motion for limine regarding McNew’s occupation will be heard by the judge on March 27.
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Action News Jax spoke with Chris Carson, a criminal defense lawyer not affiliated with the case, who told us it’s unlikely the judge will grant the request.
He said that it’s up to the judge to decide if the prejudicial effect of the evidence — McNew’s job in law enforcement — outweighs its relevance.
In October 2024, Grant was arrested for the murder of McNew after investigators said he shot and killed him outside of a Love’s gas station.
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Reports say that McNew approached Grant after seeing that he had thrown the woman he was with, Makayla Huggins, to the ground following an argument. Investigators say that Grant shot McNew as he was driving away.
Huggins pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact in April 2025. She has not yet been sentenced, according to court records.
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Grant was arrested the day after the shooting in North Carolina following a nationwide manhunt. He has been at the Clay County jail since May 2025.
His trial is set for November.
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