New Bias Jury on Ahmaud Arbery Case
During the Ahmaud Arbery case, injustice continues to stir as a panel of 12 jurors are gathered, consisting of 1 Black juror and 11 White members.
On February 23, 2020, Arbery went for a jog in Brunswick, Georgia, when a resident Gregory McMichael accused Arbery of being a robber. However, there were no police reports regarding break-ins. Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, loaded up their truck and armed themselves to make a “citizen’s arrest” for Arbery. In Georgia, it is legal for an individual to detain someone if they are seen committing a severe crime and attempting to escape. After this incident, it is no longer permitted.
According to Travis, Arbery attacked him, causing three shots at Arbery. It was then that Arbery was pronounced dead. Arbery was unarmed, not intoxicated, and was innocently going on a run in the wrong neighborhood. Still, he was accused of being the worst based on his race. Sadly, this is just one of the many.
In May 2020, Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. William Bryan, a neighbor who recorded the last moments of Arbery, was also charged with murder for attempting to “confine and detain” Arbery with his vehicle. However, no one has pleaded guilty to Arbery’s death, nor have they admitted to racial motivation.
After two and a half weeks of selecting jurors, defense attorneys chose 11 White jurors and 1 Black juror. The attorneys were accused of leaving out qualified Black jurors on the case based on their race. These jurors need to decide whether Gregory, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan are guilty of malice and felony murder. Thus, many are concerned over the bias in this case based on the jury.
Judge Walmsley acknowledged the discriminatory selection but proceeded to push the case forward. He explained he was powerless to stop the discriminatory selection process since the defense attorneys were “able to explain to the court why, besides race, those individuals were stuck from the panel.”
Wrap up of final day of jury selection in the trial in the death of #AhmaudArbery:
— Kailey Tracy (@KaileyTracy) November 4, 2021
-Panel of 11 white jurors, 1 Black juror chosen
-Judge says “there appears to be intentional discrimination” in juror strikes (cont) pic.twitter.com/98ePXsWlSU
Defense Attorney Laura Hogue claimed the Black potential jurors were excused because of their connections to Arbery and their preexisting opinions on the case. Ironically, Glynn County, the trial battlegrounds, is more than 26%, Black. However, only 1 Black juror made it to the jury.
American progress
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) November 3, 2021
2021: Jury in trial of Ahmaud Arbery killers, one Black person
1955: Jury in trial of Emmett Till killers pic.twitter.com/GmOyOYZNd0
Yodit Tewolde, a well-known lawyer who has a show highlighting racial cases and criminal justice reform, weighs in her thoughts about the ongoing racial injustice. Tewolde explains, “One guilty verdict doesn’t mean the systemic issues embedded within the criminal legal system are resolved. Think about everything it took to even get to that guilty verdict. Our guards should never be down. Our people have had to fight for basic rights, and that’ll never stop, unfortunately. We’re playing in a rigged game that perpetuates inequality, so until we change the rules completely, we’ll have to continue to call out those systems and institutions.”
Arbery’s family remains in a state of pain but comments, “I hope that in losing Ahmaud, that people that look like Ahmaud will be able to jog and be free and not to be worried about being chased; with guns and being killed.”
Anticipation rises as we wait for more updates and charges from the case.
Content Writer
