All three white men convicted of killing #AhmaudArbery in 2020, Greg and Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan, will have their federal hate crime conviction appeals heard in March. The trio chased and fatally shot Arbery, a Black man, in Brunswick, Ga., leading to their murder conviction in Georgia state court in February 2022.
The McMichaels claimed the neighborhood had experienced "several break-ins," and upon seeing Ahmaud Arbery jogging, they presumed he was the purported culprit. Equipped with at least two firearms, Gregory McMichael and his son gave chase to Ahmaud Arbery in their vehicle. Gregory McMichael contended that Ahmaud Arbery "assaulted" them, prompting Travis McMichael to discharge at least one shot. Shortly after, Ahmaud Arbery succumbed to his injuries.
Prosecutors presented evidence of the defendants' racist behaviors and comments, which supported the hate crime charges. Despite initially pleading guilty to hate crimes for a lighter sentence in federal prison, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the plea deal. The McMichaels received life sentences, while Bryan got 35 years for the hate crimes.
Their attorneys now claim they pursued Arbery, suspecting criminal activity, not due to his race. The McMichaels and Bryan also face attempted kidnapping and firearm charges, with ongoing appeals for their murder convictions in a Glynn County Superior Court. The appeal hearing for the hate crime convictions is set for March 27 before the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in #Atlanta.
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Link: TheHill
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