黑料社

Defense counsel in the trial of three white men accused of murdering Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia asked potential jurors on Monday whether they considered the Confederate battle flag a racist symbol.

Three out of the first group of 20 potential jurors raised their hands when asked the question during jury selection at Glynn County Superior Court in the small coastal city of Brunswick, where Arbery was shot dead on Feb. 23, 2020.

Former policeman Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis McMichael, 35, and neighbor William 鈥淩oddie鈥� Bryan, 52, face charges of murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment in the killing of 25-year-old Arbery.

All have pleaded not guilty. They say they chased and confronted Arbery on a road in Satilla Shores, a mostly white neighborhood in Glynn County, to make a citizen鈥檚 arrest. The suspects say that Travis McMichael killed Arbery with a shotgun in self defense. The three face life in prison if convicted.

The question about the flag flown by the southern pro-slavery Confederacy during the 1861-1865 Civil War, today viewed by some as a symbol of white supremacism, came as the men鈥檚 defense counsel signaled they plan to challenge vigorously any perception the shooting was racially motivated.

Franklin Hogue, a lawyer for Gregory McMichael, said it was important to find out if potential jurors might have biases against the defendants. 鈥淲e do know that race is an issue in this case,鈥� he told the court.

The defendants鈥� lawyers negotiated with Judge Timothy Walmsley over what questions they could put to potential jurors, including whether they could ask jurors鈥� views about the Black Lives Matter anti-racism movement.

Walmsley said he would allow some of the questions proposed about potential jurors鈥� views on race but wanted to limit the amount of time spent on the topic.

鈥淏lack Lives Matter is not a party in this case; it鈥檚 not part of this criminal prosecution,鈥� he said.

When potential jurors were asked about having a 鈥渘egative feeling鈥� towards Travis or Gregory McMichael, at least seven jurors raised their hands for each of the men.

A potential juror who is a retired accountant and auditor, told the court she harbored a negative view of the Confederate flag, an image of which appeared in the old Georgia state flag that Travis McMichaels included on his truck鈥檚 vanity license plate.

鈥淚f somebody鈥檚 flying a Confederate flag, I don鈥檛 think it means they believe in state鈥檚 rights,鈥� the woman said. 鈥淚 think it means they have a racist view.鈥�

鈥業鈥檓 giving it over to God鈥�

Jury selection started with a panel of 20 out of the 600 people summoned on Monday. Court later adjourned for the day with eight potential jurors being dismissed and without any jurors being seated.

Both Arbery鈥檚 father, Marcus Arbery, and mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, attended the proceedings.

鈥淲e know it was a racist killing, but I鈥檓 giving it over to God,鈥� Marcus Arbery told the media outside the courthouse.

Arbery鈥檚 family and their supporters say he was targeted because he was Black. Defense lawyers say the McMichaels and Bryan were suspicious of Arbery and chased after him in pickup trucks because they saw him go inside a house that was under construction. The owner of the property has said he believed that Arbery had entered the building site for a drink of water and that nothing was stolen..

Bryan recorded on his cellphone the confrontation between Arbery and the McMichaels and the subsequent shooting. The video sparked outrage across the United States.

A local prosecutor, whose office had previously employed Gregory McMichael, initially declined to charge the three men. More than two months passed arfter the killing before they were charged.

The judge curtailed public access to the proceedings on Monday, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, but has allowed two reporters in the courtroom.

It could takes days or even weeks to find 12 jurors and four alternates. About 1,000 citizens in Glynn County, which is about 69% white and 27% black, have received jury summons.