Judge Presiding Over Ahmaud Arbery’s Case Will Decide If His Past Mattered

The time a lot of us have waited for is coming. A date has been set for the three men charged for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

This week, a hearing is scheduled to take place for a judge to decide if Arbery’s past is relevant, the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reported.

Judge Timothy Walmsley is being asked to permit details of the victim’s past run-ins with law enforcement to be put into evidence.

The judge must also rule on whether Arbery’s mental illness is relevant to the defendants’ self-defense claims.

Walmsley set an Oct. 18 trial date but will consider the requests during hearings Wednesday and Thursday.

If he chooses to allow it as evidence, it will be favorable for the defense and change the course of the trial.

”Murder is illegal whether the victim regularly served breakfast to the homeless at his church, or regularly stole cars, or did both,” the state said in opposition. “The victim’s prior crimes or other acts involving third parties do not excuse or mitigate his murder and are generally not relevant to any issue at trial.”

Former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter is hopeful that Judge Walmsley won’t grant the request because the defendants knew nothing about Arbery’s past the day they confronted him. “I think it’s a shot in the dark by the defense, but if they succeed, it’s going to complicate the prosecution’s job,” he said.