Federal Hate Crimes Trial Begins for Ahmaud Arbery’s Convicted Killers

The federal hate crimes trial has officially begun for Ahmaud Arbery‘s convicted killers. The jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday. 

Travis McMichael, his father, Greg McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan were charged with hate crimes and the attempted kidnapping of Arbery, a 25-year-old black jogger. All three defendants are white. 

The federal trial will focus on the motive behind the killing and whether it was racially motivated, also if they violated Arbery’s civil rights. The state case did not address the intent, though the Georgia state court found the trio guilty of felony murder and other charges. 

The McMichael father-son duo recently pleaded to be moved to federal prison for a safer and less crowded prison. However, US District Judge Lisa Godbey says she was “not willing to be bound by the terms of the agreement that he would be moved to a federal prison for the next 30 years.”

The judge’s decision came after Arbery’s family pleaded and Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, passionately spoke out about the original agreements. 

The McMichaels were planning to plead guilty, but after the judge rejected the plea deal, they withdrew their pleas.