EXPLAINER: Trio guilty of killing Ahmaud Arbery. What now?

ATLANTA – The sidesplitting was captured connected video and shared astir the world: Ahmaud Arbery moving toward and past astir an idling pickup motortruck earlier its operator blasted him astatine adjacent scope with a shotgun.

Soon aft Travis McMichael fatally changeable Arbery connected Feb. 23, 2020, his father, Greg McMichael, told constabulary however the brace had equipped themselves, chased the young Black antheral and trapped him "like a rat." Neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan told officers helium joined the pursuit and helped chopped disconnected Arbery’s escape.

After a 13-day trial astatine the Glynn County courthouse successful coastal Georgia, a disproportionately achromatic assemblage recovered the 3 achromatic men guilty of murder. Each antheral was besides convicted connected lesser charges.

ON WHAT CHARGES WAS EACH MAN CONVICTED?

A nine-count indictment charged each 3 men with 1 number of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 1 number of mendacious imprisonment and 1 number of transgression effort to perpetrate a felony, successful this lawsuit mendacious imprisonment.

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Travis McMichael was convicted of each 9 charges. Greg McMichael was convicted of each charges but malice murder. Bryan was convicted of 2 counts of felony murder, 1 number of aggravated assault, 1 number of mendacious imprisonment and 1 number of transgression effort to perpetrate a felony.

HOW MUCH PRISON TIME ARE THEY FACING?

Malice and felony execution convictions some transportation a minimum punishment of beingness successful prison. The justice decides whether that comes with oregon without the anticipation of parole. Even if the anticipation of parole is granted, a idiosyncratic convicted of execution indispensable service 30 years earlier becoming eligible. Multiple execution convictions are merged for the purposes of sentencing.

Murder tin besides beryllium punishable by decease successful Georgia if the sidesplitting meets definite criteria and the authoritative chooses to question the decease penalty. Prosecutors successful this lawsuit did not.

Each number of aggravated battle carries a situation word of astatine slightest 1 twelvemonth but not much than 20 years. False imprisonment is punishable by a condemnation of 1 to 10 years successful prison.

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WHEN WILL THEY BE SENTENCED?

That's not wide yet. Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley volition acceptable a sentencing date.

WILL THERE BE APPEALS?

Appeals are astir definite successful this case, said University of Georgia instrumentality prof emeritus Ron Carlson.

One apt ground for entreaty could beryllium the exclusion of definite grounds from the trial, helium said. Defense attorneys had sought to present grounds of Arbery's transgression record, records connected his intelligence wellness and the information that helium was connected probation. They besides wanted to person a use-of-force adept testify. But the justice ruled against admitting immoderate of that evidence.

“They'll reason that applicable grounds adjuvant to the defence was excluded by the proceedings justice and that was an error,” Carlson said.

It's besides imaginable that appellate attorneys could find different grounds for entreaty aft scouring transcripts and assemblage instructions, and speaking with jurors.

AREN'T THERE STILL FEDERAL CHARGES PENDING?

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Yes. The McMichaels and Bryan inactive look national charges.

Months earlier the 3 stood proceedings connected authorities execution charges, a national expansive assemblage successful April indicted them connected hatred crimes charges. It’s an wholly abstracted lawsuit that’s not affected by the authorities trial’s outcome.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood has scheduled assemblage enactment successful the national proceedings to commencement Feb. 7. All 3 men are charged with 1 number of interference with civilian rights and attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels were besides charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a transgression of violence.

The national indictment says the men targeted Arbery due to the fact that helium was Black.

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Associated Press writer Russ Bynum successful Brunswick, Georgia, contributed to this report. Find each of the AP's sum of the case: https://apnews.com/hub/ahmaud-arbery

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