Defense starts in trial over killing of Ahmaud Arbery

By RUSS BYNUM

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — Defense attorneys began gathering connected arguments that their clients were lawfully trying to halt burglaries successful their vicinity arsenic they presented their lawsuit Wednesday successful the execution proceedings of 3 achromatic men for the sidesplitting of Ahmaud Arbery.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley denied renewed requests for a mistrial and to assistance a directed verdict acquitting each 3 defendants connected execution charges. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors’ lawsuit was legally insufficient to enactment convictions.

The prosecution rested connected Tuesday aft 8 days of grounds from 23 witnesses.

Walmsley besides denied a petition from defence attorneys to prohibition salient civilian rights leaders and different high-profile visitors from the courtroom and necessitate alternatively that they presumption the proceedings proceedings connected a video surface successful different country that has been acceptable up for further spectators arsenic portion of COVID-19 precautions.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson sat with Arbery’s parents successful the backmost enactment of the courtroom Wednesday for the 2nd clip this week. Attorneys for the defendants person said Jackson’s beingness and that of others who person spoken retired successful enactment of convictions successful the lawsuit could unfairly power the jury.

“They correspond portion of a nationalist conversation” connected radical injustice that has advocated for “conviction of the defendants,” said Jason Sheffield, an lawyer for Travis McMichael, the antheral who changeable Arbery. “And for that crushed I bash not deliberation they should beryllium contiguous successful the courtroom.”

In an interrogation extracurricular the courthouse during a luncheon interruption connected Wednesday, Jackson said that by bringing up the contented of his attendance and that of different Black pastors who person supported the Arberys, the defence attorneys are “looking for a diversion.”

“They don’t privation a trial,” helium said. “They privation a mistrial.”

Jackson reiterated his “hope that the result volition beryllium 1 wherever the assemblage volition condemn the killers, the assemblage volition convict the killers.”

The proceedings is taking spot earlier a disproportionately achromatic assemblage astatine the Glynn County courthouse successful the larboard metropolis of Brunswick.

Father and lad Greg and Travis McMichael equipped themselves and jumped successful a pickup motortruck to prosecute Arbery aft helium ran past their location from a adjacent location nether operation Feb. 23, 2020. A neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, joined the pursuit successful his ain truck, telling constabulary that helium tried to tally Arbery disconnected the roadworthy and past recorded cellphone video arsenic Travis McMichael fired 3 shotgun blasts earlier Arbery fell facedown successful the street.

Bryan’s attorney, Kevin Gough, argued connected Wednesday that Arbery seemed suspicious to his lawsuit due to the fact that helium didn’t telephone retired for assistance arsenic the McMichaels chased him past Bryan’s beforehand structure wherever Bryan was working.

“Mr. Arbery has the opportunity, earlier Mr. Bryan adjacent understands what’s going on, to talk and say, ‘Help! Call 911!’”

Gough added: “That doesn’t happen.”

Gough besides said Bryan ne'er intended to harm Arbery and ne'er tried to fell his engagement successful the pursuit. He noted that Bryan openly shared his cellphone video — the cardinal portion of grounds successful the lawsuit — with constabulary officers astatine the scene.

Gough suggested that Arbery was up to nary good.

“When Mr. Arbery passes Mr. Bryan’s house, with each owed respect, we cognize why,” helium said. “And I deliberation we tin each discern that from the evidence.”

Arbery, 25, had enrolled astatine a method assemblage and was preparing to survey to go an electrician similar his uncles erstwhile helium was killed.

The McMichaels told constabulary they suspected Arbery was a burglar due to the fact that information cameras had recorded him respective times successful the unfinished location connected their street. Defense attorneys said Travis McMichael opened occurrence successful self-defense aft Arbery attacked him by throwing punches and trying to drawback his gun.