Arbery’s murder trial lawyer has asked for “no more black shepherds” Black Lives Matter News

A lawyer representing one of the three white men accused of killing and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man, told a judge he did not want the defense to go to a Georgia court where “more black shepherds” are on trial.

Attorney Kevin Gough made the comments on Thursday father’s trial and son — Gregory McMichael, 65, and Travis McMichael, 35 — and neighbors William “Roddie” Bryan followed. The trio are accused of running after a 25-year-old Arbery in a white suburb of Brunswick in February 2020 and being shot dead.

Gough, who represents Bryan, commented that U.S. civil rights leader Reverand Al Sharpton took part in the trial on Wednesday and held a prayer vigil with Arbery’s parents outside the courthouse.

“If their pastor is Al Sharpton at the moment, that’s fine. But then that’s it. We don’t want any more black pastors to come here … sitting with the victim’s family, trying to influence a jury in this case, ”Gough said.

“We want to keep politics out of this case,” he added, suggesting that the presence of characters like Sharpton may “consciously or unconsciously be an attempt to pressure or influence the jury”.

Judge Timothy Walmsley replied that he “would not exclude the public from this court.”

Sharpton quickly rejected the request, in a trial that many observers believe is the latest referendum on racial justice in the United States. The video of Arbery’s murder, along with the killing of several other blacks in the U.S., helped spark it. monthly demonstrations in 2020.

Day 5 of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder trial: Attorney Al Sharpton rev. opposes being in court – https://t.co/4CXZk60Vxz @ 11AliveNews #McMichaelBryanTrial#AhmaudArbery pic.twitter.com/BAps83iRBG

– The Rev. Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) November 11, 2021

“The arrogance of attorney Kevin Gough’s arrogance to ask a judge to resign me or any minister chosen by any family member underscores the value of a lost human life and the grief of a family in need. [of] spiritual and community support, ”Sharpton said.

He added that his attendance had been “in no way interrupted” and that he had been “invited by the family”.

Race issues are big

McMichaels and Bryan they followed Arbery in their trucks after seeing him running in the neighborhood. Then Travis McMichael shot him.

Investigators were told they were suspected of a series of robberies in the area. Travis McMichael has claimed self-defense in the murder.

Prosecutors say Arbery was an avid runner who was forced to run for his life when he was chased by an armed trio. They say they killed him based on that assumption.

The case is expected to be based in part on the controversial arrest of Georgian citizens, which was repealed in connection with the murder.

It took officials more than two months to file charges against McMichaels, and they did so after the video of the mobile phone shooting leaked online and caused public outrage. Bryan was charged with murder a few weeks later.

On Thursday, the jury was shot during a visit to the Georgia neighborhood by a jury that showed videos of Arbery on an empty property, even though Arbery, who has no custody image, is committing a crime.

The trio have also been charged with federal hate crimes.

Prosecutors previously accused defense attorneys of calling eight potential black jurors solely because of their race.

Judge Walmsley said the initial set of potential jurors roughly reflected the demographic composition of Glynn County, which has a black population of 27%, 11 of the last 12 juries selected were white.

The defense said the jury was dismissed for other reasons.

Walmsley admitted that defense lawyers had “deliberately discriminated” in the composition of the jury, but said “the court will not put the defendants … they are not truthful with the court as to their reason. For the jury to strike.”