Home All 50 US States Men convicted of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder in Georgia seek new trial

Men convicted of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder in Georgia seek new trial

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Men convicted of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder in Georgia seek new trial

In Brunswick, Georgia, three white men who were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery are returning to court to request a new trial. The defendants, Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan are presenting various arguments to support their claim, including allegations of a compromised jury and ineffective assistance of counsel for one defendant. Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley, who presided over their murder trial in 2021, has allocated up to two days for the examination of their legal motions.

The McMichaels armed themselves and pursued Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, on February 23, 2020, after noticing him jogging past their residence in a neighborhood near Brunswick. Bryan joined the chase with his own vehicle and captured video footage of Travis McMichael firing shots at Arbery from close range, leading to Arbery’s fatal injury on the street.

It wasn’t until a video of the incident spread online, more than two months later, that arrests occurred. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation then took over the case, driven largely by the public outcry surrounding Arbery’s death, which was part of a broader discussion about racial inequalities in the justice system, particularly in the context of other high-profile killings of Black individuals, such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The defense team argued during the trial that the McMichaels and Bryan believed Arbery was a criminal and claimed their armed pursuit was warranted. Travis McMichael stated that he fired his weapon in self-defense when Arbery allegedly attacked him. However, police found no indications that Arbery had committed any crimes in their vicinity.

Travis McMichael’s attorney, Pete Donaldson, filed documents indicating his intent to demonstrate that the jury’s decision may have been swayed by “external influences” and “prejudicial information.” This claim arose from recorded interviews conducted by a private investigator with three jurors in 2022, though Donaldson did not provide further specifics in his filings.

Greg McMichael’s lawyer, Jerry Chappell, voiced support for Donaldson’s motion to examine the verdict’s integrity. Meanwhile, Rodney Zell, who represents Bryan, contended that Bryan’s trial attorney did not provide adequate representation. Zell pointed out that Bryan, under his previous lawyer’s guidance, agreed to speak with investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, ultimately leading to his self-incrimination due to lack of preparation.

Zell also claimed that the judge improperly restricted the defense from presenting evidence of Arbery’s past behaviors or legal troubles, which they contended could have contributed to the McMichaels’ perceived threat. The judge had previously ruled that info regarding Arbery’s character was not pertinent, as none of the defendants had any prior acquaintance with him before the deadly incident.

This appeal for a new trial represents the first step for the defendants in contesting their murder convictions. Judge Walmsley sentenced both McMichaels to life without the possibility of parole, while Bryan was granted a potential chance for parole.

Additionally, the trio faced convictions for federal hate crimes in a separate trial in February 2022. The jury determined they had targeted Arbery due to his race, supported by evidence including numerous social media messages and witness testimonies reflecting racist attitudes from all three men.

Recently, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding an appeal to overturn the hate crimes verdict, though the final decision from the federal appellate court remains pending.