GUILTY GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5

[ilovewings]

'More Bubbas, no Black pastors': Attorney for man accused of killing Arbery decried as racist

Atty Gough is really the lowest of the low

 

[Hope4More]

(......)
Before he stepped aside, Barnhill wrote a letter to a Glynn County police captain saying the McMichaels “were following, in ‘hot pursuit,’ a burglary suspect, with solid first hand probable cause, in their neighborhood, and asking/ telling him to stop.”
(.....)
Wanda Cooper’s Civil lawsuit:
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/20490528/arbery-complaint.pdf.

After all the trial testimony, reading in Cooper's lawsuit what Greg told 911 moments before Travis shot & killed AA lands differently.

Greg:. "I'm out here in Satilla Shores. There's a black male running down the street...I don't know what street we're on."

Greg has lived in SS for many many years. The neighborhood has all of what, 5 named roads? He & Travis deliberately chose to go around on Zellwood then onto Holmes in order to cut off AA. Greg told LE just that. Not to mention, they are literally within eyesight of a stop sign & road signs for Holmes & Satilla, and Greg's home is not many yards away. He's almost literally in his own front yard.

And, Greg has chosen to call 911 just then. Not beforehand, so LE could handle the (non) situation, and not afterwards, after the imminent confrontation is over, and what? AA is safely arrested & detained?

No, Greg calls exactly when their confrontation with AA has reached a point that has the most potential for a violent outcome. Greg knows this. He has just moments earlier screamed at AA to stop or he would blow off his f'king head. To let AA know, according to what Greg told LE, "that we're serious, we're not playing." Travis has gotten out of the truck, fingers on the trigger of his shotgun, and is waiting for AA to approach. Roddy is behind AA, forcing him forwards, cutting off his escape. Greg is standing in the back of the truck, with a clear view of who is where.

Just before Greg calls 911, as AA approaches, Travis screams at AA to get down on the f'ing ground. He doesn't.

That's exactly when Greg calls 911. Why just then? Why doesn't he tell 911 what street he's on?

Before trial I believed Greg called then because he thought he'd pulled off being super cop hero to the neighborhood, having captured the thief of everything & all places.

From everything laid out at trial, I no longer think that's the most obvious scenario. I think Greg called then because he knew AA would be shot, either by himself or by Travis. And I think Roddy knew that or hoped for it all along, which is why he videotaped the chase & murder.

The otherwise inexplicable fact all 3 believed Roddy's video would exonerate them says it all, really.

 

[Smkd]

And again, I have no desire to know. I don’t care why he was there. The original comment was:
“My concern is the jury doesn't know why AA kept going there. So they will assume the worst.”

The comment you posted saying “You’re joking I hope” was in response to this comment, which you quoted.

People can be interested in construction. That's what it seems to me was happening here. He was seeing the progress. JMO.

This comment was a response to your previous comment

So why did AA keep going there?

Hence the confusion. I didn’t realise that your post was a response to something else, and thought you were simply asking if someone knew.

You also said in another answer that you genuinely wanted to know what kept drawing him there. I hope that clarifies why me (and others) thought you did want to know.

I still don’t understand your “you’re joking I hope” comment though. You don’t believe he was just checking the construction or you don’t believe the jury will believe that?

 

[Chelly]

'More Bubbas, no Black pastors': Attorney for man accused of killing Arbery decried as racist

Atty Gough is really the lowest of the low

I didn't realize people like Gough still existed. An officer of the court, demonstrating total disregard for professional conduct... Acting with brazenness, spewing hateful beliefs in open court, in full view of cameras for the world to view. I've learned that I'm seriously naive in this regard.

 

[Cool Cats]

Subdivision's social posts reflected fear before Arbery shot

Months before Ahmaud Arbery was killed, shooter Travis McMichael wrote a simple, chilling response to a Facebook post about a suspected car burglary in his Georgia neighborhood: “Arm up.”

But in the year before Arbery's death, the posts in the Facebook group for the subdivision where McMichael lived portray a neighborhood increasingly on edge over low-level incidents, with residents swapping suspicions, keeping children inside and becoming willing to take matters into their own hands.

He also testified that much of what he knew about local burglary reports came from the Facebook group for the Satilla Shores subdivision where he lived with his parents.

His “arm up" comment came in response to a July 2019 post, included in court documents, in which a woman warning of car burglaries said: “Remember, you can’t tell if a thief is a lightweight or a murderer.”

An item from that November referenced a Black man and a white couple recorded on back-to-back nights inside a home under construction five houses down from the McMichaels. Travis McMichael’s response: “They are really playing with fire.”

One neighbor testified that a post about a car break-in prompted her to check her husband’s truck and discover some of his tools missing. Brook Perez said it "felt like a violation.”

Neighbor Lindy Cofer said people on the Facebook group swapped theories and suspicions behind who might be responsible for certain property crimes. Asked if she had ever been a victim of crime, Cofer said not for more than 30 years.

 

[SharonNeedles]

I still don’t understand your “you’re joking I hope” comment though. You don’t believe he was just checking the construction or you don’t believe the jury will believe that?

More important than what I believe, unless I missed something I don’t think the jury has been asked to consider why he kept returning there, have they? The “assume the worst” comment threw me. I can’t think of any reason - innocent or nefarious - that AA would be wandering around that house at night. None whatsoever.

 

[ilovewings]

I didn't realize people like Gough still existed. An officer of the court, demonstrating total disregard for professional conduct... Acting with brazenness, spewing hateful beliefs in open court, in full view of cameras for the world to view. I've learned that I'm seriously naive in this regard.

His behavior is shocking, but clearly he has no problem saying those
things in open court- because he dosnt see anything wrong with saying
those words to the world -that is what he is--- an unrepentent racist

 

[Lilibet]

More important than what I believe, unless I missed something I don’t think the jury has been asked to consider why he kept returning there, have they? The “assume the worst” comment threw me. I can’t think of any reason - innocent or nefarious - that AA would be wandering around that house at night. None whatsoever.

I would hope that the prosecutor and the judge in his instructions to the jurors would make it abundantly clear that their role is to decide the guilt or innocence of the defendants. Their role is not to consider why AA kept returning to the construction site. Nefarious or innocent, it doesn’t matter. AA is not on trial. They don’t need to know his reason in order to assess the actions of the defendants. The defendants made an assumption about AA and took the law into their own hands without legal justification. They chased him, cornered him to “question him,” threatened AA with a gun and he defended himself with his bare hands. If the jury insists on picking apart why AA visited the construction site several times, they are focused on the wrong issue and shame on them!
JMO

 

[Lilibet]

I didn't realize people like Gough still existed. An officer of the court, demonstrating total disregard for professional conduct... Acting with brazenness, spewing hateful beliefs in open court, in full view of cameras for the world to view. I've learned that I'm seriously naive in this regard.

Unfortunately, “very fine people” like Gough and the defendants have been emboldened in recent years. They no longer have to hide under a rock, but can spew their hateful beliefs openly and act on them brazenly with approval from those in power locally and even nationally. I hope the verdict in this trial will send the right message.
JMO

 

[LMDlong]

He made sure to mention his son and show emotion over his son. I think he specifically wanted the jury to hear/see that.

"I was thinking of my son," replied McMichael, his voice quivering. "It sounds weird, but that was the first thing that hit me."

McMichael told jurors that Arbery was overpowering him, and it was a "life-or-death situation" when he pulled the trigger.

Ahmaud Arbery trial: Travis McMichael takes stand, says it was a 'life-or-death situation'

IMO that was BS . TM was coached.

 

[LMDlong]

I have come to believe that TM took the stand to draw the charges to him and him alone. I think he is trying to get his father exonerated (probably doesn't care about WRB). There was no reason to take the stand given what he and his attorneys knew the pros. would hammer him on. So, why else? Other than drawing the verdict to him and him alone given that dad was along for the ride.

GM wasn’t just along for the ride. GM was the one who came inside and called for TM that AA was running down the street.

 

[Cool Cats]

IMO that was BS . TM was coached.

Yup, I've read articles that point out how he is rehearsed. Here is a photo of Greg acting all emotiobal before the jury during Travis's testimony.

 

[LMDlong]

I am not even sure that they were looking for a gun. Just making sure he was dead and showing disgraceful disrespect.

IMO They knew he didn’t have a gun. All the running for his life and then the fight for his life a gun would have been seen or ended up on the ground. If he had a gun he would have pulled it out when going around the right side of the truck.

 

[Cool Cats]

GM wasn’t just along for the ride. GM was the one who came inside and called for TM that AA was running down the street.

And Greg gave Travis directions.
It was mentioned by the prosecution that Greg told Travis to turn and go in certain directions.

 

[LMDlong]

Yup, I've read articles that point out how he is rehearsed. Here is a photo of Greg acting all emotiobal before the jury during Travis's testimony.

He knows it’s his fault .

 

[LMDlong]

And Greg told Travis which streets to turn on, giving him directions.

Yep

 

[LMDlong]

Will the defense have 3 closing argument's tomorrow?

 

[LMDlong]

Yes - but here it looks like they moved the motions hearing again:

Nov 8, 2021

ORDER granting the Government's consent 71 Motion to Continue the Motions Hearing - ends of justice served as to Travis McMichael (1), Gregory McMichael (2), William Bryan (3). The Court continues the Motions Hearing to December 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., Courtroom 1, Brunswick Federal Courthouse. The parties shall file their Joint Status Report on or before December 13, 2021. Signed by Magistrate Judge Benjamin W. Cheesbro on 11/8/2021. (ca) (Entered: 11/08/2021)

Nov 8, 2021

Reset Deadline as to Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, William Bryan: Status Report due by 12/13/2021. (ca)


Nov 8, 2021

Reset Motions Hearing for 12/20/2021 10:00 AM in Brunswick - Courtroom No. 1 - before Magistrate Judge Benjamin W. Cheesbro in case as to Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, William Bryan. (ca)

Nov 10, 2021

Set/Reset Hearings as to Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, William Bryan: The Pretrial Conference set for 11/19/2021 is RESCHEDULED for 12/20/2021 10:00 AM in Brunswick - Courtroom No. 1 - before Judge Lisa G. Wood. (WS)


Nov 10, 2021

SET/RESET HEARING ON MOTIONS in case as to Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, William Bryan. Motions Hearing RESCHEDULED (TIME CHANGE ONLY) for 12/20/2021 at 11:00 a.m., Brunswick - Courtroom No. 1 - before Magistrate Judge Benjamin W. Cheesbro. (KM)


So - I'm putting the motions hearing on 12/20 @ 11am & there is a pretrial hearing on 1/21/22 @ 10am.

Okay I missed something. What are these motion hearings for ?

 

[JayWill]

More important than what I believe, unless I missed something I don’t think the jury has been asked to consider why he kept returning there, have they? The “assume the worst” comment threw me. I can’t think of any reason - innocent or nefarious - that AA would be wandering around that house at night. None whatsoever.

He may interested in the progress. If he was there for nefarious reasons, what were they?

 

[Hope4More]

Not sure if this was posted already, but a btw.

The judge agreed to instruct the jury on lesser charges for Roddy: simple assault, reckless conduct & reckless driving.

All 3 defendants each still face: 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 1 count of false imprisonment, and 1 count of criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Simple assault (a misdemeanor):
2010 Georgia Code :: TITLE 16 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES :: CHAPTER 5 - CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON :: ARTICLE 2 - ASSAULT AND BATTERY :: § 16-5-20 - Simple assault

Reckless driving (a misdemeanor):
2010 Georgia Code :: TITLE 40 - MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC :: CHAPTER 6 - UNIFORM RULES OF THE ROAD :: ARTICLE 15 - SERIOUS TRAFFIC OFFENSES :: § 40-6-390 - Reckless driving

Reckless conduct (a misdemeanor):
2010 Georgia Code :: TITLE 16 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES :: CHAPTER 5 - CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON :: ARTICLE 4 - RECKLESS CONDUCT :: § 16-5-60 - Reckless conduct causing harm to or endangering the bodily safety of another; conduct by HIV infected persons; assault by HIV infected persons or hepatitis infected persons

(Meaning Gough may well argue in closing that sure, Roddy joined in the chase, but he never tried to confine or detain him (false imprisonment felony) or to strike him with his truck or to run him off the road (aggravated assault, felony). That all he tried to do, in order to take a video LE could use to identify AA who he thought was getting away, was to try to stop him or block his path).

If the jury finds Roddy guilty on just one or even all 3 of the lesser charges rather than on the felonies of aggravated assault and/or false imprisonment, he can't be found guilty of felony murder, and almost certainly wouldn't be on malice murder. Roddy has 2 paths to avoid life in prison (the other being acquittal).