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Defense Attorney: Negotiations In Works For Possible Plea For Suspect In Fatal Shooting Of Gerard Grandzol

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The defense lawyer for a man accused in a botched robbery that claimed the life of a Spring Garden father in front of his 2-year-old daughter claims negotiations are in the works for a possible plea. However, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office says there is no deal in the works.

At a hearing on Tuesday morning at the Criminal Justice Center, Michael Medway, a lawyer representing 21-year-old Maurice Roberts, said he's confident neither defendant will face a trial in the fatal shooting and robbery of 38-year-old Gerard Grandzol last September.

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Medway told the judge plea negotiations have been underway for his client as they're working on how many years he should spend in prison.

"The District Attorney's Office wouldn't be so quick to negotiate with us, number one. And number two, given that my client is an adult, if he had been the shooter he could've been subject to the death penalty if the Commonwealth chose to make this a capital case," said Medway.

Roberts' younger brother, Marvin Roberts, the alleged shooter, was 16 at the time of the fatal shooting. A hearing has been scheduled for June to attempt to move his case to juvenile court. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office opposes that happening.

However, the District Attorney's Office says there was absolutely no deal on the table.

"We are not working on a plea agreement. There are no negotiations underway. Our ADA stated that on the record in court. We haven't even received a mitigation packet from defense counsel for either defendant in this case. We remain focused on opposing the decertification motion to move one of the defendants into juvenile court. That's the next step in this case," said District Attorney Office spokesperson Ben Waxman.

Police say Grandzol was shot and killed in front of his 2-year-old child in a botched robbery.

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Grandzol was a beloved member of the Spring Garden and Fairmount communities.

The deadly encounter at 15th and Melon Streets was captured on surveillance cameras.

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