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

[JaxFlaGal]

Right. I don't like that. Pitch black. They acted like it was in the depths of the ocean. Speaking of which, I'm not sure, but doesn't the moon provide a lot of light, especially when it's full and over water?

I live about 50 miles to the south of Brunswick, and it sure provides a lot of light here when it's close to full (was particularly beautiful and bright tonight).

My area is rural with no streetlights for miles. I sometimes walk my dogs down the street outside at night without a flashlight on; I can do that easily for days before and days after a full moon here (don't panic; it's a cul-de-sac with no vehicular traffic except my cars).

Also, 2/11/2020 was only 2 days after a full moon (Moongiant - Moon Phase Calendar). On a clear night, the moon should have been bright. Definitely would not have been pitch black outside. Perhaps they mean pitch black inside the construction site under the roof?

 

[JayWill]

Where you hear it screaming “not a jogger,” I just see a guy making due with what he has. I ran for years in denim shorts because that is what I owned, and I didn’t have the money for shorts just for running. Not everyone is so privileged.

I could have afforded any kinds of gear. I still don't know what shorts for running are different than just any shorts or any pants for that matter.

 

[JayWill]

I live about 50 miles to the south of Brunswick, and it sure provides a lot of light here when it's close to full (was particularly beautiful and bright tonight).

My area is rural with no streetlights for miles. I sometimes walk my dogs down the street outside at night without a flashlight on; I can do that easily for days before and days after a full moon here (don't panic; it's a cul-de-sac with no vehicular traffic except my cars).

Also, 2/11/2020 was only 2 days after a full moon (Moongiant - Moon Phase Calendar). On a clear night, the moon should have been bright. Definitely would not have been pitch black outside. Perhaps they mean pitch black inside the construction site under the roof?

That was in their hearts even if they had them.

 

[clearskies1]

I don't understand the questioning about jogging or not. When I think about AA I think about times in my life when I felt hemmed in by a narrow existence. I used to read magazines to escape my isolated world. Perhaps AA used running to get out of his world and see different things. There's no evidence of theft or property destruction.

 

[SuperTmo]

I could have afforded any kinds of gear. I still don't know what shorts for running are different than just any shorts or any pants for that matter.

Yeah, for sure. Frankly the speed of his gait and the style of his shorts is the least important thing about this case. It’s not illegal to jog, even if you don’t do it often.

People who are casting doubt about whether he was running or not are just looking for some reason to blame him.

It’s extremely uncomfortable to realize that three people hunted down another person for no discernible reason except for the color of his skin. Several people I know in my life do not want to believe anyone would do that, so they are looking for any way possible to blame Ahmaud for what happened to him… for any way to explain it other than racism. They don’t realize that this way of thinking just helps perpetuate the injustice.

This story is so painful on so many levels. I pray for justice for Ahmaud.

 

[branmuffin]

I think it's a natural question that some jurors are going to have, especially if they have not been given alternative reasons for him to be there. I was expressing that concern myself and worried that the jurors would adopt the defense narrative with a lack of another to consider. That was before I realized that they'd heard about the jogging.

Of course, there are some who might doubt the jogging alternative to burglary. And there are some who won't believe either because, while they don't believe he was jogging, it still makes no sense that AA kept going back to a place to "burgle" after seeing -- what? at least 4 times -- that there's nothing he can steal. More times if you count that neighbor's daughter who saw him there on a Sunday afternoon. I think AA was probably there a lot more than they know because either he was monitoring the construction on the house, using that neighborhood as a jogging route, or both. Some believe neither, but don't think he was burglarizing, either.

Maybe he was singularly interested in the construction of that house. I don't know. Maybe he was using jogging as a release from his problems and then he found this house, and it piqued his curiosity, so he kept coming to check it out. I don't know.

What I do know is this:

1. He didn't bring a bag or a flashlight.
2. He didn't pick up or touch anything on video
3. He didn't leave with anything, not even a nail.
4. No one can prove when and where the stuff off the boat was stolen. So that a moot point.

So I don't believe that burglary was his motive even though I do not know why he was there. Jogging is reasonable. Checking out the construction is also reasonable. I think more important than any narrative of why he was there is the one thing we can reasonably say he wasn't doing -- burglary.

I agree that there had never been any evidence that AA was casing the property. He never acted furtive while inside. He wandered around and never touched anything.

I think people get tripped up by the moniker of jogger because it presumes the individual is focused on exercise and physical fitness but it's also a good possibility that running in that bucolic green environment was good for AA's soul.

I read a novel years ago called The Loneliness of the Long Distant Runner about a young man who was growing up poor in a squalid neighbourhood in England. He used running as a means of escape both physically and mentally from his lack of hope and promise for a future. One of the reasons I think AA may have done the same thing is I remember the video of him in a car just resting during a work break and a cop came up demanding he get out of the car and threatened him with a taser. I can see how just the mindlessness of jogging could settle his mind and give him peace.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

It's pretty clear to me that this would never had happened had AA been white.

White guy looks like he's running away from something? NBD

But Black guy, he MUST be up to something nefarious.

And now he's dead for no reason.

Even if, and there's no evidence that he did, burgle anyplace, burglary isn't a capital crime.

 

[Lilibet]

This case is heartbreaking. First, because Mr Arbery was hunted down and murdered by three white men who were sure that this black man was up to no good in their neighborhood. Second, because there are those among us who look for ways to justify the unjust killing of Mr Arbery. And none of them see or will admit how utterly racist their attitude is. How can anyone still cling to the belief that white skin makes someone intrinsically more worthy of life than someone with black skin? Where on earth do these ideas come from? I’m sick of it!

 

[Smkd]

I’m so annoyed every time they talk about the 11th and how furtive he was, how he supposedly ran away as soon as he saw T was there, and knew everyone was looking for him.
We can see with our own eyes that AA is calmly strolling inside as we see Travis arrive in his car. I’m convinced that at most, Travis managed to catch a glimpse of AA walking in, and he’s just made up the rest in his head. He was all kinds of worked up for literally nothing. And AA probably didn’t think anything of it and just did his routine of walking around and leaving, and was gone far before the whole neighbourhood showed up and got in a tizzy.

And it’s obvious to me that in a place that’s warm during the day it makes sense to exercise at night, duh.

Maybe it’s a cultural thing because I’m from Spain, and we tend to stay out much later in general, but particularly when it’s hot it’s normal for people to stay home during the warmer hours and only leave when it’s cooler. People being out and about at 11 or midnight is just not something that would raise an eyebrow, so I’m struggling to relate to any of what these people are saying.

 

[Niner]

Veronica Waters
@MissVWaters
·
14h
Kevin Gough: During the lunch recess, co-counsel looked outside, needs to be placed on the record: The Black Panthers or some other group, there was a truck carrying a coffin with the names of the defendants. They're referenced in motion this morning.

Gough: I don't know if they want to scare the defendants but co-counsel with a small child was scared to death. Large, apparently automatic, weapons were seen outside the courthouse. We believe its appropriate to renew motion for mistrial.



KG: Court & sheriff have done best to give defendants a fair trial, but we've now got people who claim to be violent driving around with coffins with clients' names on it and semi-automatic weapons? This is no longer a figurative mob, it's a literal mob.

Frank Hogue: If the jury's been exposed, we'd be concerned. Short of that, if it's First Amendment rights being expressed outside and jurors are unaware, we're okay. Rubin says he agrees with Hogue. He says to make sure, he asks Court to ask.

State asks Court deny mistrial; we leave it to discretion of Court. Judge Walmsley denies mistrial. Re: jurors being exposed to anything, it's not been brought to my attn. They have a right to be outside. Agree we'll keep a close eye to ensure jurors are insulated

Kevin Gough begins his closing asking, When did Roddie Bryan know the McMichaels brought guns, know Travis McMichael would shoot #AhmaudArbery, and what could Bryan have done to stop it? He didn't and couldn't--the inconvenient truth. Isn't time we send him home?

KG: Bryan fully cooperated. Decide what justicd looks like between the McMichaels and Bryan But the only reason we can have this trial is because of Roddie Bryan.



KG: State & GBI took cheap shots at Bryan. But the truth of what he tried to convey hasn't changed. *plays section of bodycam video* It's been suggested he wasn't really trying to preserve #AhmaudArbery's identity. That's what he said on side of the road.

KG: He hasn't even looked at his phone. Either you believe Roddie Bryan's the smartest person in the room manipulating police from that moment, or he had good faith from the start, tried as best he could to help the police.

KG: He's inviting officer to look at video with him for the first time, not with some slick Cobb County lawyer. That tells you Roddie Bryan is not guilty. He's trying to tell you the truth--he just can't always find the words.

KG: Bryan doesn't even recall GM being in back of the truck. He said it took police minutes to arrive when we know it was seconds. He gets so many basic facts wrong is it any surprise months later he'd struggle to recall details of what happened that day?

KG: I'm not supposed to say this, but what we lawyers say is not evidence. The evidence is what you heard. It's a privilege to come before you. I want to go back in time to the morning of Feb 23 2020. If only we could turn back time.



KG: It was a different world but it's the world where these events take place. Look at them in that context. We have the porch video. Roddie Bryan working. Music playing. His hammer on ground behind him.



KG: Now this still photo. Front of Bryan residence. Add in Bryan on porch, truck with lumber in back in the driveway. Is there anything menacing about this? We talked about driveway decisions. Mr. #AhmaudArbery has driveway decisions he's making this morning.



KG: As #AhmaudArbery comes up on Bryan's house, why isn't he asking for help? Why isn't he calling out, Hey somebody call 911, there's crazy people after me? Maybe b/c Mr. Arbery doesn't want help.

KG: Roddie Bryan doesn't realize Greg McMichael's in this truck until after the tragic shooting. State: Object to facts not in evidence. KG: Pretty sure he said that in an interview. Well, jury knows the evidence. Judge says stick to evidence as presented

KG: Bryan looks out, sees #AhmaudArbery and the truck side by side. He's basically reading the lips of Travis McMichael. He can't see Arbery's lips, never heard him say anything. It's clear Arbery doesn't want help from Mr. Bryan; he runs off

KG: Bryan yells, You got him? To them on the road but no one hears him. In video where he comes off porch, I suggest--when he says he called out...did he? Do you see it on here? Is he relating what happened or is his mind playing tricks on him?



KG: He said he walked out, another time he said he ran. It takes 13 seconds to go get his keys and get to truck. He is walking calmly. His recollection of doing otherwise is faulty. We also know he left his rifle and hammer, and took his cell phone.

Gough discusses reasonable doubt: If you can be given a doubt as to whether Mr. Bryan is guilty, your mission is complete and at that point you should acquit.

KG: Bryan can only be a "party to the crime" intentionally. Count 1 is murder. I hesitate to respond to it b/c I don't want you to think it's worthy of a reply. But I have to. Roddie Bryan didn't shoot #AhmaudArbery. He was armed only with a cell phone.

KG: Roddie Bryan certainly was not aware of any intention by Travis McMichael to shoot #AhmaudArbery, and I'm not saying he had that intention. But he certainly can't be a party to the crime of malice murder if he doesn't know the crime is underway.



KG pulls up section Bryan video, says he was going about 2 MPH. He pauses video so jurors can see speedometer. He's been described as chasing #AhmaudArbery, hunting him down. He's moving at 2MPH and no seatbelt.



You probably know my lack of tweets means I'm writing stories/going live. FYI--State finishes closing argument Tues. Prosecutor says she's been informed the "caskets" Gough mentioned today did NOT have defendants' names as he said. Judge says he was told that, too




link: https://twitter.com/MissVWaters

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, Nov. 23rd:
*Trial continues (Day 13) – Closing/Rebuttal (@ 8:30am ET) - GA – Ahmaud Marquez Arbery (25) (Feb. 23, 2020, shot while jogging in Satilla Shores neighborhood, Brunswick) - *Gregory Johns McMichael (64/now 65) arrested (5/7/20) & charged (5/8/20) with felony murder & aggravated assault. Indicted (6/24/20), charged & arraigned (7/17/20) with 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 1 count of false imprisonment & 1 count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. Bond denied (11/13/20).
*Travis James McMichael (34/now 35) arrested (5/7/20) & charged (5/8/20) with felony murder & aggravated assault. Indicted (6/24/20), charged & arraigned (7/17/20) with 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault (count 7: aggravated assault with trucks-added 11/19/21), 1 count of false imprisonment & 1 count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. Bond denied (11/13/20).
*William “Roddie” Roderick Bryan, Jr. (50/now 51) arrested & charged (5/21/20) with felony murder & criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Indicted (6/24/20), charged & arraigned (7/17/20) with 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault (count 7: aggravated assault with trucks-added 11/19/21), 1 count of false imprisonment & 1 count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Trial began on 10/18/21 with jury selection & ended on 11/3/21. Trial began on 11/5/21. Jurors: 5 men & 11 women with 4 alternates. 15 white/1 black jurors. 11/4/21: Juror #579 was excused, sick. Alternates now 3.
Court info from 5/8/20 thru 10/17/21 & Jury selection (Day 1-12) 10/18/21-11/3/21 & Trial (Day 1-11) 11/5/21 to 11/19/21(State rested their case on 11/16/21) & (defenses rested on 11/18/21) reference post #162 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
11/22/21 Monday, Trial Day 12: Defense will get 2 hours each & prosecution will get 3 hours for closings, plus jury instructions.
Before closing, Kevin Gough again requests to sever William Bryan's case from the McMichael's. The state is objecting & will go through reasons why. Judge says this filing is not timely since the evidence has already been presented. Judge denies Kevin Gough's motion to sever his client's case.
ADA Linda Dunikoski does State's closing arguments.
for more info see posts #183, 188, 194 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
State's closing continued.
for more info see post #210 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Some objects by ADA Duniskowski & Jason Sheffield, attorney for Travis closing arguments.
for more info see posts #233 7 238 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Sheffield closing continued.
for more info see post #255 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Sheffield closing continued.
for more info see post #332 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Laura Hogue, attorney for Greg closing arguments.
for more info see post #348 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Kevin Gough, attorney for Bryan closing arguments.
Gough is now putting on the record that this happened during the lunch recess: Protestors, whether with the Black Panther group, were beyond the barriers of the courthouse. There was a coffin with the names of the defendants on it. Large weapons, automatic weapons, were seen outside the courthouse. We believe it's appropriate to renew the motion for mistrial. Judge denies motion for mistrial.
Hough wants juror 12 dismissed because she refused to make eye contact with her & is nodding off.
for more info see post #550 here:
GA - Ahmaud Arbery, 25, jogger, fatally shot by former LEO and son, Brunswick, Feb 2020 *Arrests* #5
Prosecutor will finish with rebuttal & then jury instructions on 11/23/21.
The judge agreed to instruct the jury on lesser charges for Bryan: simple assault, reckless conduct & reckless driving.
*Federal charges: *Travis James McMichael (34/now 35) & *Gregory Johns McMichael & *William “Roddie” Roderick Bryan, Jr. Next motions hearing on 12/20/21, pretrial hearing 1/21/22 & trial set to begin on 2/7/22.

 

[JayWill]

This case is heartbreaking. First, because Mr Arbery was hunted down and murdered by three white men who were sure that this black man was up to no good in their neighborhood. Second, because there are those among us who look for ways to justify the unjust killing of Mr Arbery. And none of them see or will admit how utterly racist their attitude is. How can anyone still cling to the belief that white skin makes someone intrinsically more worthy of life than someone with black skin? Where on earth do these ideas come from? I’m sick of it!

Those attitudes are deeply ingrained. Generational.

 

[sds71]

Former prosecutor Mark Eiglarsh said Hogue had the pulse of the jury.

"I did find the defense lawyer's comments, personally, extremely offensive," Eiglarch said. "That said, I'm going to defend her right to make it, because her job is to do everything that she can to get an acquittal, as long as it's within the confines of what the law allows."

"As outrageous and offensive as I found it personally, I know that she wouldn't have made it if she didn't think it would resonate with those particular jurors," Eiglarsh said. "And that's what she did."

Defense lawyer prompts outrage for bringing up Ahmaud Arbery's toenails in closing arguments | | foxcarolina.com

 

[fr brown]

I figured "long dirty toenails" must come from somewhere. It's almost verbatim from the autopsy report. (I'm sure many others have noted this.) I haven't been following the trial so it changed my impression of Arbery from a jogger to someone who was running at a jog. And the phrase conjures up...something wrong. Apparently Arbery had serious mental illness. I don't think this was allowed to be mentioned at trial.

 

[ilovewings]

Yeah, for sure. Frankly the speed of his gait and the style of his shorts is the least important thing about this case. It’s not illegal to jog, even if you don’t do it often.

People who are casting doubt about whether he was running or not are just looking for some reason to blame him.

It’s extremely uncomfortable to realize that three people hunted down another person for no discernible reason except for the color of his skin. Several people I know in my life do not want to believe anyone would do that, so they are looking for any way possible to blame Ahmaud for what happened to him… for any way to explain it other than racism. They don’t realize that this way of thinking just helps perpetuate the injustice.

This story is so painful on so many levels. I pray for justice for Ahmaud.

My concern in this case is the culture of people that live in that area, which includes the jurors. One of the talking heads discussing this case suggested that the defense attorneys, during their closings, and some of their ugly remarks (re: toenails): were really a call out to a bubba juror -- they are hoping for that kind of juror or jurors to get the verdict they are looking for. There is not one doubt that the prosecutor has done a masterful job in this case- hands down ---good enough to win this case five times over. However, we are dealing with a "good ol boy" culture- remember, this case was swept under the rug and almost wound up never coming to light and never being prosecuted. Racism--- that is what we are dealing with here- Hoping and praying for a just verdict but sad to say I will not be surprised if we don't get it.

 

[Hope4More]

Edited. Justice for Ahmaud has truth & LD on it's side. May that be enough.

 

[missingm]

Only a weapon in an unlocked car was recently stolen in that community. And lo and behold, it was stolen from a self described law and order type who didn't lock his vehicle. Lucky for him it was an unregistered weapon with an unknown serial number. So there was no way to identifying the hapless owner if it had been used criminally or worse killed some local kid who was looking for loose change and ended up hitting the motherlode. IMO, it could be a ghost gun, a phantom created to subliminally suggest AA was responsible.

Travis and another neighbor had guns stolen out of unlocked cars within a month of each other. I am sure there have been many other cases. Just with those two you have at least 3 additional guns on the street in the hands of criminals.

In my city you get a ticket for leaving a car running unattended while running into a store. You should definitely be subject to arrest or huge fines for leaving guns unattended and unsecured.

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Everyone ready? Here comes the jury!

 

[Niner]

No tweets yet - I'll gather up a bunch when Victoria starts tweeting...

 

[Smkd]

I figured "long dirty toenails" must come from somewhere. It's almost verbatim from the autopsy report. (I'm sure many others have noted this.) I haven't been following the trial so it changed my impression of Arbery from a jogger to someone who was running at a jog. And the phrase conjures up...something wrong. Apparently Arbery had serious mental illness. I don't think this was allowed to be mentioned at trial.

Honestly I’m very, very skeptical of his diagnosis. He was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in a two hour assessment with a mental health nurse Judge says he wants to review Ahmaud Arbery's mental health records

First, I’m surprised a nurse can diagnose something like this in two hours. When I was in the process of getting a diagnosis for ADHD the nurse just triaged me with questionnaires, and the actual diagnosis took multiple sessions with a psychiatrist.

Schizoaffective disorder is such a complex diagnosis that I don’t understand how could it be determined in a single session.

And considering that medical racism is alive and well, and African Americans get overdiagnosed with schizophrenia to this day, I would consider that diagnosis iffy at best.