{"id":20865,"date":"2022-01-07T20:13:45","date_gmt":"2022-01-08T01:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=20865"},"modified":"2022-01-07T20:13:45","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T01:13:45","slug":"ahmaud-arbery-joggers-murderers-sentenced-to-life-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/01\/07\/ahmaud-arbery-joggers-murderers-sentenced-to-life-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Ahmaud Arbery: Jogger&#8217;s murderers sentenced to life in prison"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">A white father and son convicted of killing a black jogger have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">A jury found Travis and Gregory McMichael and their neighbour, William Bryan, guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Bryan also received the maximum penalty of life, but was offered the possibility of parole in 30 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The judge said the McMichaels had not shown remorse or empathy for Arbery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Judge Timothy Walmsley said he gave them severe sentences in part because of their &#8220;callous&#8221; words and actions captured on video.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Ahead of his verdict, the Arbery family called for the harshest possible punishments for the three men as a means of bringing &#8220;closure to a difficult chapter&#8221; in their lives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The case has raised questions about racial justice in the US South.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pzprxn-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-9nsdc6-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-52623151\">Ahmaud Arbery went jogging. Why did he die?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Arbery, 25, a resident of Brunswick, Georgia, was out jogging in an adjacent, predominantly white neighbourhood when the trio chased and cornered him in pick-up trucks before the younger McMichael shot him during a struggle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_17061\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17061\" style=\"width: 493px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Ahmaud-Arbery.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17061\" src=\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Ahmaud-Arbery.png\" alt=\"Ahmaud Arbery\" width=\"493\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Ahmaud-Arbery.png 493w, https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Ahmaud-Arbery-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17061\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ahmaud Arbery was out running in the Satilla Shores neighbourhood of Brunswick in Georgia&#8217;s Glynn County early in the afternoon on 23 February 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The defendants argued they acted in self-defence while attempting to make a citizen&#8217;s arrest of a suspected burglar, but prosecutors argued race was a factor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Gregory McMichael, 66, his son Travis, 35, and Bryan, 52, were found guilty in November of murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal intent to commit a felony.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y32r44-ComponentWrapper-HeadlineComponentWrapper e1xue1i88\" data-component=\"subheadline-block\">\n<h2 id=\"subheadline-13\" class=\"ssrcss-1nmw0uu-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">&#8216;This was a killing, it was callous&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;Taking the law into your own hands is a dangerous endeavour,&#8221; Judge Timothy Walmsley said on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;A neighbour is more than the people who just own property around your house,&#8221; continued the judge. &#8220;In assuming the worst in others, we show our worst character.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Holding a minute of silence to put in context &#8220;a fraction of the time Ahmaud Arbery was running in Satilla Shores&#8221;, Walmsley said he &#8220;kept coming back to the terror that must have been in [Arbery&#8217;s] mind&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;Remorse isn&#8217;t simply a statement of regret. Remorse is something that&#8217;s felt and demonstrated,&#8221; he said. &#8220;After Ahmaud Arbery fell, the McMichaels turned their backs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">But he ruled that while Bryan &#8211; who filmed the incident &#8211; had participated in the ambush, he should have an opportunity for parole because he &#8220;demonstrated grave concerns that what had occurred should not have occurred&#8221; soon after.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y32r44-ComponentWrapper-HeadlineComponentWrapper e1xue1i88\" data-component=\"subheadline-block\">\n<h2 id=\"subheadline-20\" class=\"ssrcss-1nmw0uu-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">&#8216;I told you I would get you justice&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Members of the Arbery family delivered powerful victim impact statements as they called for the three men to be &#8220;fully committed for the consequences&#8221; of their actions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Through tears, Wanda Cooper Jones &#8211; who sat in the courtroom throughout the trial &#8211; spoke directly to her late son.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;This verdict doesn&#8217;t bring you back, but it does help bring closure to this very difficult chapter of my life,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;I made a promise to you the day I laid you to rest: I told you I love you and someday, somehow, I would get you justice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Jasmine Arbery recalled her younger brother&#8217;s love of the outdoors, his athletic build and &#8220;dark skin that glistened in the sunlight like gold&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;These are the qualities that made these men assume Ahmaud was a dangerous criminal and chase him with guns drawn,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;To me those qualities reflected a young man with life and energy who looked like me and the people I love.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Arbery&#8217;s father Marcus lamented how he would never spend another day with a child who changed his life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Defence attorneys had argued for some leniency, with attorney Kevin Gough arguing Bryan should have an opportunity for parole because he &#8220;did not kill, did not attempt to kill and did not intend to kill&#8221; Arbery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Bob Rubin and Laura Hogue, counsel to the McMichaels, said their clients were good men devoted to family, community and country who committed &#8220;one bad act&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;As thoughtless or reckless as these actions may have been, they are not evidence of a soul so blackened as to deserve life with no parole,&#8221; said Mr Rubin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">But lead prosecutor Linda Dunikoski fiercely rebutted the claim: &#8220;Travis McMichael said this was the worst day of his life. Well how did that work out for Ahmaud Arbery?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y32r44-ComponentWrapper-HeadlineComponentWrapper e1xue1i88\" data-component=\"subheadline-block\">\n<h2 id=\"subheadline-34\" class=\"ssrcss-1nmw0uu-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">What happens next?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">All three defence lawyers had earlier indicated they will appeal the verdicts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The defendants also face a federal hate crimes trial next month, alleging that they targeted Arbery because he was black.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Arbery&#8217;s mother told US media on Friday she had rejected the offer of a plea deal that would see them spend 30 years in federal prison on top of the prison time handed down in state court.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i85\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17j9f6r-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Ms Jones has also filed her own civil lawsuit against the men and against law enforcement officials who declined to arrest them.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-59912361\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">A white father and son convicted of killing a black jogger have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A jury found Travis and Gregory McMichael and their neighbour, William Bryan, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/01\/07\/ahmaud-arbery-joggers-murderers-sentenced-to-life-in-prison\/\" title=\"Ahmaud Arbery: Jogger&#8217;s murderers sentenced to life in prison\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[109,2,3],"tags":[7173,7207,2999,7175,7208,7174,7224],"class_list":{"0":"post-20865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headline","8":"category-news","9":"category-usa","10":"tag-ahmaud-arbery","11":"tag-brunswick","12":"tag-georgia","13":"tag-gregory-mcmichael","14":"tag-satilla-shores","15":"tag-travis-mcmichael","16":"tag-william-bryan","17":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20865"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20867,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20865\/revisions\/20867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}