It was a long first day of jury selection as the murder trial of the man accused of shooting and killing Brevard County Deputy Barbara Pill nearly two years ago got underway Monday.

Brandon Bradley faces a potential death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder for the March 2012 shooting.

Judge Morgan Reinman, prosecutors and defense attorneys began the long process of asking potential jurors a series of questions, including their views on the death penalty and any issues that would prevent them from serving during what's expected to be a lengthy trial.

Of a 53-person jury pool, 13 potential jurors were brought in and questioned Monday.

There is a heavy security presence inside Courtroom 4A at the Moore Justice Center in Viera. Bradley was led into the courtroom just after 9 a.m. Monday, clean shaven and wearing a black suit and tie, a big difference in attire from his previous court appearances, before potential jurors were present.

Right after the first of the jury pool was brought in, the judge read the charges against the defendant.

One by one, jurors were brought up for questioning by the judge and lawyers on both sides, questions of what they might have heard about the shooting in the media, and whether they could set aside anything they may have heard about the case in the last two years.

Judge Reinman also asked jurors what they thought of the death penalty and life in prison as possible verdicts. Lawyers asked what sort of circumstances jurors would consider "mitigating," which would support a life-sentence recommendation.

Prosecutors say Bradley shot Deputy Barbara Pill during a traffic stop on March 6, 2012. Investigators said he and girlfriend Andria Kerchner had just stolen items from the Econolodge in West Melbourne, and deputies were called to track down the suspects.

Minutes later, Pill made the stop. That's when investigators said Bradley pulled out a gun and shot the deputy outside a neighborhood on John Rodes Boulevard, in Melbourne.

Investigators said Bradley then sped away, later crashing into a water-filled drainage ditch, where he and Kerchner were arrested.

Kerchner accepted a plea deal last month and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. As part of the agreement, she will testify against Bradley in this trial, which is expected to last five weeks, with jury selection taking about a week.