Almost all-white jury picked in Ahmaud Arbery trial despite pushback

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Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr.

The judge and prosecutors in the Ahmaud Arbery trial, in which three white men are accused of killing a black man jogging through their Georgia neighborhood, claimed defense attorneys systematically eliminated a disproportionate number of potential jurors because of their race.

A jury of 12 people, 11 white members and one black member, were eventually picked from a pool of 1,000 and seated Wednesday, following a contentious selection process in the coastal Georgia town that lasted for 2 1/2 weeks.

Defense lawyers claimed they struck black members from the jury for reasons other than race. One came to court believing Arbery was “haunted” and “killed like an animal,” while another told the court he wanted to keep Arbery’s “name alive.” Prosecutors pushed back and said nearly everyone who showed up to court had heard the gritty details but that the defense only had issues with nonwhite contenders.

“This court has found that there appears to be intentional discrimination,” said Judge Timothy Walmsley, siding with prosecutors. However, he ultimately ruled the racially charged high-profile case could move forward.

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Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, called the decision “very, very discouraging” and told ABC News she had “concerns about getting a guilty verdict.”

Father and son duo Greg and Travis McMichael are accused of arming themselves and going after Arbery, who was jogging through their Satilla Shores neighborhood near the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. The McMichaels chased and cornered Arbery before opening fire. They claimed they thought Arbery was stealing and that security cameras in an open-framed house under construction had previously caught him on tape, though investigators have refuted those claims.

ADDITION Georgia Chase Deadly Shooting
ADDS THAT THE AP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY THE SOURCE OF THE VIDEO – This image from video posted on Twitter Tuesday, May 5, 2020, purports to show Ahmaud Arbery, left, struggling with Travis McMichael over a shotgun on a street in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, 2020. McMichael’s father, Gregory, who was also at the scene, said Arbery was shot as the two men fought over the gun, according to the police report. The AP has not been able to verify the source of the video. (Twitter via AP)

Also standing trial is William “Roddie” Bryan, a neighbor who joined in and took a cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery at close range with a shotgun.

The men are charged with nine counts each, including malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.

Arbery’s death was only investigated after footage from the incident was leaked online and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation became involved. The shooting and the alleged cover-up dominated national headlines and became part of a larger racial reckoning amid the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

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For many, the trial isn’t just about the shooting — it’s a hard look at a justice system that allowed the defendants, who were close with law enforcement officials, to remain free for nearly a month after they killed Arbery.

The McMichaels and Bryan have also been charged with federal hate crimes. That trial is slated to begin in February.

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