Defense Tries To Remove Rev. Jesse Jackson From The Trial Of The Men Accused Of Murdering Ahmaud Arbery
Kevin Gough, the defense attorney for William Bryan, one of three white men on trial for the death of Ahmaud Arbery, apologized for saying he didn’t want “more Black pastors” in the courtroom. However, yesterday, he attempted to remove civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Jackson, 80, arrived on Nov. 15 at the Glynn County, Georgia courthouse to support the family of Ahmaud Arbery. He participated in a prayer vigil at the courthouse and sat with Arbery’s mother.
According to CBS News, Gough told the court on Nov. 15, with Jackson sitting in the back, "In the context of this trial, we object to his presence in the public gallery. How many pastors does the Arbery family have? We had the Rev. Al Sharpton last week."
He continued, "There is no reason for these prominent icons in the civil rights movement to be here. With all due respect, I would suggest, whether intended or not, that inevitably a juror is going to be influenced by their presence in the courtroom."
See the clip below:
Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley refused to remove Jackson from the public courtroom: "The court is not going to single out any particular individual or group of individuals as not being allowed into his courtroom as a member of the public. If there is a disruption, you're welcome to call that to my attention."
The jury was not present.
There will be more pastors this week. Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been supporting the family since last year, is calling for clergy from all denominations to meet him outside of the courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 18 to stand with the family and attorneys for Ahmaud Arbery.
Prosecutors say on February 23, 2020, Greg and Travis McMichael, a white father and son, armed themselves and pursued Arbery, 25, in a pickup truck after seeing him jogging in their neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Ga.
Following behind, neighbor William Bryan recorded the incident, taking cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at close range with a shotgun. The pair said they believed Arbery was a burglar.
Immediately following the shooting, both McMichaels men and Bryan remained free and were not charged until the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case some four months later. In May 2020, all three were charged with murder. Each has pleaded not guilty. Additionally, all three men have been indicted on federal hate crime and attempted kidnapping charges.
