Monday, a federal judge rejected a plea deal reached by prosecutors and one of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers– Travis McMichael– that might have allowed him to avoid a hate crime trial and likely spend the first 30 years of his sentence in federal prison instead of a state facility.
The decision came after McMichael admitted for the first time that he chased down Ahmaud Arbery because he was black.
“Having considered all that was said today, and looking at the law that governs these agreements, it is my decision to reject the plea agreement in this case,” U.S. District Judge Lisa G. Wood said.
“I am not comfortable with accepting the terms of the plea agreement,” she added.
The judge was expected to rule on the plea deal for Gregory McMichael, Travis’ father, in a separate hearing Monday. However, after the judge rejected Travis plea deal, attorneys for the McMichaels asked for more time to decide whether to change their pleas. The next hearing is expected to take place Friday.
The McMichaels and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan were convicted of Arbery’s murder back in November.
Before the judge’s decision Monday, the Arbery family urged the court to reject the plea deal, saying the McMichaels deserved to spend the first three decades of their life sentence in state prison. They believed the conditions are tougher opposed to federal prison.
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