NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – The attorney for a man who shot and killed a Nassau County deputy during a traffic stop in 2021, and who was sentenced to death last year, appeared in court on Wednesday to appeal his sentence.
Patrick McDowell’s attorney, Robert Pearce, appeared before the Supreme Court of Florida to request that it vacate McDowell’s death sentence and grant him a life sentence instead. He is also requesting a new penalty phase, in which victim impact evidence will not be presented to the jury.
The first appeal of a death sentence is mandatory in Florida…