Earl Bradley, Monster Pedophile – Trial Date Set

Earl Bradley

Having followed numerous trials, I was a bit surprised that jury selection and a trial date have been set for Lewes pediatrician Earl Bradley.  Bradley has been charged with rape or sexual abuse of 103 children.

A case review was scheduled for May 17, but Dean Johnson, public defender, said the hearing was unlikely to take place.  It had been set to see whether the state would offer a plea deal — a prospect he said was highly unlikely.

The case has now been assigned to New Castle County Superior Court Judge William C. Carpenter Jr. who will oversee proceedings, though it remains in Sussex County Superior Court. The trial date includes only the charges brought in the first indictment, not the second indictment, filed April 19.

Jury selection is slated to begin February 14, 2011 and the trial is on the court docket to begin February 21.

Bradley pleaded not guilty last month to the charges in the first indictment.  He faces another arraignment for 58 additional counts for the rape or abuse of another 24 girls.  Prosecutors filed those charges a little over a week ago.

The second indictment will track separately from the first and prosecutors say it’s possible Bradley may face two trials.

Bradley videotaped many of the assaults and his private attorney admitted that it would be difficult to refute that evidence. Attorney Eugene Maurer Jr. said he was planning a mental-health defense, however that was prior to the AG freezing Bradley’s assets.  Bradley is now represented by the public defender’s office.

Legal experts say Bradley has three options: plead not guilty and force a long and painful trial, admit to all charges or mount a mental-illness defense.

If found guilty, Bradley likely will spend the rest of his life in near solitary confinement.  If declared mentally ill, he would be sent to Delaware Psychiatric Center, which would offer much more freedom of movement.  Even if eventually judged ‘stable’, Bradley would never be a free man.   If released from the mental hospital, he would immediately be transferred to prison.

Bradley is currently being held on $4.71 million bail.

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