Three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 are back in court to seek a new trial.
Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan are each serving life sentences for the fatal shooting, which provoked national outrage as the Black Lives Matter movement approached its peak.
The trio were convicted of murder after chasing Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, who was out jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23, 2020. During the chase, Travis McMichael shot Arbery at close range, an act recorded by Bryan on his cellphone.
No arrests were made for more than two months.
Public pressure intensified after Bryan’s video was leaked, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation stepped in to make arrests.
They are now appealing the convictions, citing issues such as jury bias and ineffective legal representation. Judge Timothy Walmsley, who presided over the 2021 trial, is considering the motions over the course of two days.
From left, Travis McMichael, William “Roddie” Bryan and Gregory McMichael. They are now calling for a new trial following their conviction for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, in 2020 in Georgia.
AP Photo/Pool, File
What Are Their Reasons for the Appeal?
Attorneys for the three men are challenging various aspects of the trial.
Pete Donaldson, the lawyer for Travis McMichael, argues that the jury’s verdict was tainted by “outside influences” and “extraneous prejudicial information.”
He plans to present evidence of these influences based on interviews conducted with three jurors in 2022. Greg McMichael’s attorney, Jerry Chappell, is supporting this claim.
Bryan’s attorney, Rodney Zell, is pursuing a different argument.
Zell claims that Bryan received poor legal advice from his previous attorney, who encouraged Bryan to give an interview to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to Zell, Bryan was unprepared for the questioning and incriminated himself during the interview. Zell is also challenging the trial judge’s decision to exclude evidence of Arbery’s prior encounters with law enforcement, which the defense argues was relevant to the case.
Civil rights activist Porchse Miller, of Atlanta, protests in front of a mural of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. Arbery’s three convicted murderers were also found guilty of federal hate crimes.
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File
The Trio’s Original Trial
During the original trial, the trio’s defense lawyers argued that the men believed Arbery was a burglar and were trying to detain him until police arrived.
Details of their pursuit revealed they chased Arbery in their pickup truck, attempting to block his path at several points while armed, which culminated in a struggle.
Travis McMichael claimed he acted in self-defense when Arbery attacked him.
However, police found no evidence that Arbery had committed any crime that day.
His mental health records were also weaponized to argue that the McMichaels rightly feared that he might be dangerous.
In addition to the state murder convictions, the three men were also found guilty of federal hate crimes in 2022. Prosecutors presented text messages and social media posts that revealed racist slurs and derogatory attitudes, asserting that the men targeted Arbery because of his race.
Ahmaud Arbery’s father Marcus Arbery, in the courtroom with other family members during the sentencing of his son’s three murderers on January 7, 2022. The defense had argued the McMichaels were attempting to make a citizen’s arrest and Arbery was shot in self-defense, this was rejected by the jury.
Stephen B. Morton-Pool/Getty Images
One Of Black Lives Matter’s Biggest Cases
The case became emblematic of the racial justice movement of 2020, alongside the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Both McMichaels were sentenced to life without parole, while Bryan was given a chance of parole after serving 30 years.
Seeking a new trial marks a first step by the three defendants.
Their federal hate crimes convictions are also under appeal, with arguments heard earlier this year by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A decision on the federal case is still pending.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
