Defense attorney: McMichaels ‘honestly believe that what they were doing was the right thing’

3 years ago 263

All 3 men charged successful Ahmaud Arbery’s decease convicted of murder

Defense lawyer Jason B. Sheffield presents a closing statement to the assemblage during the proceedings of Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan, astatine the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, successful Brunswick, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool) (Stephen B. Morton, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

After astir 10 hours of deliberations, jurors connected Wednesday convicted the 3 achromatic men charged successful the decease of Ahmaud Arbery, the Black antheral who was chased and fatally changeable portion moving done their Georgia neighborhood.

Greg McMichael, his lad Travis McMichael and their neighbour William “Roddie” Bryan each look minimum sentences of beingness successful prison. The justice volition determine whether the condemnation comes with oregon without the anticipation of parole.

Following the blameworthy verdicts for the 3 Georgia men, Arbery’s parents were seen walking retired of the courthouse with their hands raised high. His mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, thanked her supporters.

EXPLAINER: Trio blameworthy of sidesplitting Ahmaud Arbery. What now?

Attorneys who represented the McMichaels addressed the media successful beforehand of the courthouse pursuing the verdicts.

“This is simply a precise hard time for Travis McMichael and Greg McMichael,” said lawyer Jason Sheffield. “These are 2 men who honestly judge that what they were doing was the close happening to do. However, the Glynn County assemblage has spoken, they person recovered them blameworthy and they volition beryllium sentenced.”

Sheffield said it was a “very disappointing and bittersweet verdict” for his ineligible team.

“But we besides admit that this is simply a time of solemnisation for the Arbery family,” helium continued. “We cannot teardrop our eyes distant from the mode that they consciousness astir this. And we recognize that they consciousness they person gotten justness today. We respect that we grant that due to the fact that we grant this assemblage proceedings system.”

Attorney Robert Rubin said an appeals process is planned.

“I’m definite that our determination to support the lawsuit present and not determination for a alteration of venue volition beryllium discussed advertisement nauseam and it volition surely and could surely go a portion of the entreaty close now,” Rubin said.

The attorneys were asked astir the petition from the assemblage to erstwhile again presumption the video that showed Arbery being shot.

“We’re gladsome they wanted to look astatine the video due to the fact that we felt from time 1 that the video showed that Travis McMichael acted successful self-defense,” Rubin said. “Obviously the assemblage felt precise antithetic than we did and possibly we had our ain small passageway imaginativeness going. I ever thought the video was adjuvant to america conscionable arsenic Greg McMichael said astatine the precise infinitesimal it happened.”

“I tin archer you, honestly, these men are atrocious for what happened to Ahmaud Arbery,” said Sheffield. “They are atrocious that helium is dead. They are atrocious for the calamity that happened due to the fact that of the choices that they made to spell retired determination and effort to halt him.”