How race is playing into the pursuit for justice in the Ahmaud Arbery case

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Prospective jurors successful the proceedings of 3 men accused of execution successful the decease of Ahmaud Arbery look dozens of questions from lawyers, including nonstop questions astir their Southern practice and what it means if idiosyncratic displays a Confederate flag.

Defense lawyers person argued that the prosecution is trying to marque Arbery’s sidesplitting astir the 25-year-old’s ethnicity, but those are the facts of the lawsuit according to police.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Arbery was chased by Travis McMichael and his father, Greg McMichael, for much than 4 minutes portion jogging earlier helium was changeable portion trying to tally astir their pickup motortruck stopped successful the street. The McMichaels said told officers called to the fatal shooting of Arbery that they had “a gut feeling” the antheral had burglarized a location successful their Satilla Shores vicinity and they were trying to marque a citizen’s arrest.

Defense attorneys volition besides reason that Arbery attacked Travis McMichael during the pursuit and that the fatal shooting was successful self-defense. Video changeable by Bryan seems to amusement that Arbery lone approached McMichael aft the archetypal changeable was fired.

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Police said Arbery was unarmed erstwhile helium was killed.

As uncomfortable and arguable arsenic the speech astir contention whitethorn beryllium for some, the contented volition beryllium an integral portion of the prosecution’s presumption to the assemblage successful trial. Not lone person the begetter and son, on with William “Roddy” Bryan, who recorded the lawsuit and shooting with his cellphone, been charged with murder, they were besides indicted by the U.S. Justice Department connected national hatred transgression charges.

The prosecution is prepared to usage the defendants’ words against them successful the trial. Court filings from the peculiar authoritative handling the lawsuit notified the tribunal that they mean to bring to trial, grounds of radical slurs, posted connected societal media and sent successful substance messages by each 3 men.

Prosecutors besides mean to usage William Roddy Bryant’s sworn connection that helium witnessed Travis Mcmichael telephone Arbery the N-word aft shooting him -- arsenic the unfortunate bled retired connected the street.

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In the April 2021 indictment connected hatred transgression charges, the Justice Department alleges “that each 3 defendants utilized unit and threats of unit to intimidate and interfere with Arbery’s close to usage a nationalist thoroughfare due to the fact that of his race,” adding that, “All 3 men unlawfully seized and confined Arbery by chasing aft him successful their trucks successful an effort to restrain, corral and detain him against his will.”

Tuesday successful court

A 2nd sheet of 20 prospective jurors was interviewed Tuesday, with the greeting radical stretching into the afternoon.

“Do you hold that radical of colour are not treated reasonably successful the transgression justness system?” is 1 of the questions jurors are asked.

Juror #72, successful Tuesday afternoon’s assemblage pool, responded that, based connected what she knows astir the case, if Arbery had been achromatic “it astir apt wouldn’t person happened.”

Juror #73 told lawyers: “No 1 should person to fearfulness going retired due to the fact that of their color. I judge that Black radical don’t get treated the aforesaid arsenic achromatic people.”

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As of mid-afternoon, 5 of the 20 successful the greeting excavation were questioned. Four were struck, 5 had been questioned nd determination were 11 near to go.

Starting Wednesday, the justice is shifting to greeting panels only.

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