2/21 Continued:
AJB: That's a lot to tell someone you meet on the job out of the blue. Decades of law enforcement experience with public, office setting, Gov't had no complaints against Greg McMichael. Rest assured the Govt was looking and if they found it you'd hear it
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AJB: The Gov't did not put on a single witness or piece of evidence that Greg McMichael used the n-word.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AJB: When Greg McMichael talked to Ofcr. Rash in December, Rash said GM never used a racial slur to refer to man on video. Not on bodycam Feb 11.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AJB: Why did neighbor want to tell Greg McMichael about suspicions about white person in neighborhood? Because of his law enforcement experience, she said. He was respected in neighborhood, says Balbo.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AJB tells jurors when Greg McMichael's 911 call starts, "There's a Black male running down the street," he's interrupted by operator then
#AhmaudArbery passes him & Greg shouts to him. Don't let them mischaracterize call as "crime" being reported is "Black male running"
@wsbradio
AJB: As you sit here right now, you are still at Not Guilty. If one element fails of a charge, you never left--you stay there.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
Pete Theodocion for Roddie Bryan: He never felt that community was under siege. He was happy to live there. He saw the chase coming His intro to
#AhmaudArbery is a young man being pursued. A truck he recognized yells, Stop right there!
@wsbradio
PT: It was reasonable to assume the chase was for good reason.
#AhmaudArbery did not yell out for help; he didn't appear to be victim of a random attack. That's what Roddie perceived, saw, heard
@wsbradio
PT: Roddie was put into a situation of a man in his neighborhood in a chase that looked like the individual had committed a crime and his instinct would've been the same if it was white, Asian, Hispanic
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: In that moment his instincts told him people don't get chased like that unless they've done something wrong. Did he have enough evidence to get a gun? No Enough to follow at a slow rate of speed and video? Absolutely
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: He doesn't drive aggressively at
#AhmaudArbery. The medical examiner says there was no vehicle injury to his body. Impact was from fist. Roddie never attempted physical harm and surely in a million years never intended him to be shot.
@wsbradio
PT: I guess I need a new dictionary if this isn't a tragedy. This is--a young man lost his life for no good reason.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: We're here to determine very specific charges. The Gov't is w/o direct evidence. Roddie gave them his phone; they got it all. The n-word six times, the word monkey twice, the word bootlip twice, those 10 ugly disgusting slurs are nothing to be proud of
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: But we haven't seen evidence that shows Roddie is obsessed with race, sees world solely through that prism. He wasn't irate of daughter dating Black man; he disapproved. That people can't accept interracial relationships is stupid but it exists.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: We can hate these opinions on race, be repulsed by them but he has not shown a hatred of African Americans, a want for or joy when violence happens to them
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: Yes, Roddie's ex-wife came in twice with that pathetic joke on MLK Day, but that was her words. Yes, the n-word six times is six times too many but it's not evidence of person out to get African Americans
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: That circumstantial racial evidence is far from enough when you take into account how this dispute came to Roddie and how he responded.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
The attempted kidnapping charge alleges "for reward of benefit," and each defense lawyer hammered at that. There's no personal benefit to these defendants and it's rank speculation to say they'd be "some kind of hero."
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: Roddie didn't grab his gun. Didn't even own a handgun. He's not trying to be Barney Fife. ...The Gov't has to build a bridge from presumed innocent to proof beyond a reasonable doubt. They haven't.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
The history of this country with African Americans from the ultimate evil of slavery to Jim Crow, segregation, the after-effects of which are still felt. It's factual. It happened. Some people would rather it not be brought up.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: The pathway to the American Dream was not the same for African Americans. They didn't get to pick which boat they wanted to sail on how much luggage they wanted to take. This is factual. This happened.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: This is a very tough case. But this is the greatest country there is--not b/c we're the best people, but because of rooms, courthouses, like this. Constitution, principles, ideas.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: We can't let our failures elevate over our attempts to aspire to those perfect ideals. All men are created equal, all are due due process under law, all defendants presumed innocent. And no,
#AhmaudArbery was not given due process or treated fairly Feb. 23 2020.
@wsbradio
PT: It's easy to live up to our ideals in easy cases, when we agree with the defendant, when we're pulling for them. If you want to hate Roddie Bryan, you can. I'm asking you to follow the law. We have to elevate highter.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: Your statement needs to be that no matter who you are criminal defendants will always have rights in this country and we will do the right thing even if it's tough.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: It feels improbable that an election can be decided by your one vote, but here, your voice means more than it ever has. Your opinion means everything. Listen to others but don't give up your solid belief just to get along.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
PT: The evidence is not there. Elevate this process. We know
#AhmaudArbery did not receive justice. We have to do better. I'm asking you find Roddie Bryan not guilty.
@wsbradio
Last part of Gov't Closing comes at 1:45
AUSA: Look at vigilante means Greg McMichael posted. Criminal needs to fear his victim. That's how Greg wants to see himself. Listen to him yuk it up with the real police about that GCPD-issued gun hours after his son killed
#AhmaudArbery.
@wsbradio
AUSA: Greg and Travis wanted to be the vigilante, admired by real police, catching the Black guy and serving him up to police. Travis wanted to be tough guy, the hero. Look at his posts: Someone needs to teach vermin a lesson
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AUSA: Interstate commerce is something that can be used to carry things across state lines--like a truck. We gave you that and a little more.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AUSA: The defense has tried to tell you the defendants made an honest mistake. If that was true, why didn't they act like it? People who make honest mistakes show remorse, offer a kind word: Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to, what have I done
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AUSA: What if on Feb 23 the defendants had made an honest mistake in a car accident and hit a hunting dog? Would they have jumped out, showed compassion, regret, remorse? They didn't show
#AhmaudArbery the dignity a dog deserves when it gets hit by a car.
@wsbradio
AUSA: That's because these defendants saw
#AhmaudArbery as less than human, even less than as an animal.
@wsbradio
AUSA: The last thing is a simple acknowledgement: Yes, race, racism, racial discrimination can all be difficult to discuss, but the facts of this case are not difficult. How you deliberate and go through evidence is up to you.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
AUSA: Ladies and Gentlemen I want to take you back to where we started a week ago. On Feb. 23 2020 at ~1pm on a beautiful Sunday
#AhmaudArbery began what would be the last jog of his life. In Satilla Shores, Ahmaud saw the defendants; this is about how they saw him.
@wsbradio
AUSA: You know what they saw? Defendant Bryan saw
#AhmaudArbery as "the Black guy," a "thief," a "joker," a "bootlip," a "monkey," and a "."
@wsbradio
AUSA: Defendant Greg McMichael saw
#AhmaudArbery as "the Black guy," a "rat," "an ," who "should've been put in the ground a long time ago."
@wsbradio
AUSA: Defendant Travis McMichael saw
#AhmaudArbery "a sub-human savage," "monkey" "" who "ruined everything." That's what they saw. That was just one of their problems. Their biggest problem was how they could never, ever, see Ahmaud.
@wsbradio
Judge Lisa Godbey Wood finishes charging the jury, and informs the panel which of them are alternates. "The 12 of you, it's now time for you to reach a unanimous verdict." "Let's rise for this jury." The courtroom rises for the jury to exit.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
When AUSA Lyons said the defendants viewed
#AhmaudArbery as some of the racial slurs used in their posts/messages--joker, monkey, n****r, etc.)--Arbery's mother hung and shook her head. Defendants were stoic throughout. Jurors were attentive.
@wsbradio
Other observations from closing arguments, per pool: Wanda Cooper Jones shrieked and briefly cried during AUSA Tara Lyons's rebuttal, drawing the gaze of a few jurors.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
HAPPENING NOW: The federal hate crimes jury asks via note how much time they have; they are still deliberating. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood says her plan was to have them work until 6, return at 9; she'll bring them out to let them know
#AhmaudArbery @wsbadio
Jury is in. Judge reiterates their note, says, It's almost time for dinner. I'll dismiss you for the day. You'll come back at 9. Very important: Once you leave the jury room, you're not to talk about or independently research the case.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
Judge says to leave their notes and evidence in the jury room, and reassures them that it will all be locked up for them to pick up where they left off tomorrow at 9AM. Jury's exiting now. Court's in recess.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
FYI: When there IS a verdict, Judge Godbey Wood'll give everyone 45 minutes to gather before the reading.
#AhmaudArbery
@wsbradio
https://twitter.com/MissVWaters/status/1495892787618885633
