The two White men charged with murder in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery informed the court they don’t want Arbery to be called a “victim.”
Gregory McMichael and his son Travis chased down Arbery in their truck while he was out jogging and then allegedly shot him when he struggled to get free from Travis McMichael near Brunswick, Georgia, on Feb. 13, 2020. Both father and son have been charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
“Due process requires minimal injection of error or prejudice into these proceedings. Use of terms such as ‘victim’ allows the focus to shift to the accused rather than remain on the proof of every element of the crimes charged,” the attorneys wrote in a motion according to CNN.
Lawyers for the McMichaels also want the judge to prohibit any garments with political messages such as “Black Lives Matter” and “I Can’t Breathe” from being worn in the courtroom.
“It is the right of those supporters to wear whatever clothing they choose, to hold up any sign they wish, and to chant whatever slogan they like outside the courtroom. That is the beauty of our first amendment. But once inside the courthouse, the sanctity of the defendants’ right to a fair and impartial trial trumps the first amendment,” the motion states.
Both McMichaels were denied bond by the judge and have remained in the Glynn County Detention Center since their arrest in July.
