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<h2 class="has-text-color has-small-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong><em>&#8216;They chose to target my son because they didn&#8217;t want him in their community. ;<br>&#8216;They chose to treat him differently. ;<br>&#8216;And when they couldn&#8217;t sufficiently scare him or intimidate him, they killed him&#8217; </em>&#8211; Wanda Cooper-Jones ;</strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>US District Judge Lisa G. Wood Monday rejected a plea deal <strong>for Travis and Gregory McMichael</strong></strong> <strong>on federal hate crimes after Travis admitted that he chased Ahmaud Arbery because he was black </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>Making the admission for the first time, Monday, the younger McMichael changed his plea to guilty at a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Brunswick, GA </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>With the deal, the court would have imposed a 30-year sentence on Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael, to run concurrent with the life sentences they received on Friday after their murder convictions</strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>The deal would give the men their preference of serving time in a &#8216;cushier&#8217; federal prison, instead of a state penitentiary </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>The McMichaels were convicted in November, alongside William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan in Arbery&#8217;s murder and were set to serve life without parole </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>The trio, however, were still scheduled to stand trial for federal hate crime charges on February 7 </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>The details of the plea agreement were not specified when filed on Sunday, but were t<strong>o be reviewed and approved by a judge</strong></strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong><strong>The family&#8217;s attorney Lee Merritt said: &#8216;Federal prison is a country club when compared to state prison… these men hurriedly entered this plea deal that would allow them to transfer out of custody from GA prison&#8217; </strong></strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong>Judge Wood in a ruling on Monday afternoon, rejected the terms of the deal at the request of Arbery&#8217;s parents </strong></h2>



<h2 class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading" id="judge-rejects-plea-deal-for-ahmaud-arbery-killers-on-hate-crime-charges-travis-mcmichael-admits-for-first-time-he-chased-arbery-because-he-was-blacka-judge-has-rejected-a-plea-deal-on-federal-hate-crime-charges-for-travis-mcmichael-after-he-admits-for-the-first-time-that-he-chased-ahmaud-arbery-because-he-was-black-on-monday-mcmichael-changed-his-plea-to-guilty-at-a-hearing-in-the-u-s-district-court-in-brunswick-georgia-arbery-s-parents-immediately-came-out-against-the-plea-deal-which-they-called-an-unauthorized-backroom-deal-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-the-mcmichaels-were-convicted-in-november-alongside-william-roddie-bryan-in-arbery-s-murder-and-were-set-to-serve-life-without-parole-the-trio-however-were-still-scheduled-to-stand-trial-for-federal-hate-crime-charges-lobbied-against-them-on-february-7-the-details-of-the-plea-agreement-were-not-specified-when-filed-on-sunday-they-have-to-be-reviewed-and-approved-by-a-judge-marcus-arbery-and-wanda-cooper-jones-have-put-out-some-of-the-details-of-the-agreement-which-they-say-is-a-betrayal-of-their-trust-they-say-the-deal-would-allow-the-mcmichaels-to-serve-for-30-years-in-a-preferred-federal-prison-rather-than-a-state-penitentiary" style="color:#513e3e"><strong><strong>Marcus Arbery and Wanda Cooper-Jones</strong> revealed some of the details of the agreement, which they say is a betrayal of their trust by DOJ </strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Wanda-Cooper-Jones-and-Marcus-Arbery-leave-court-with-supporters-after-sons-killers-are-sentenced-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399161" width="842" height="546"/><figcaption><strong>Victim&#8217;s parents Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Arbery [center], leave court with supporters after the three men who killed their son were sentenced to life in prison on Friday. Two of the men were sentenced without the possibility of parole </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>U.S. District Judge Lisa G. Wood on Monday rejected a plea deal for Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s killers on federal hate crime charges, with Travis McMichael admitting for the first time that he chased Ahmaud Arbery down because he was black before fatally shooting him. ; ;<br>On Monday, Travis McMichael, 36, and his 66-year-old father Gregory McMichael changed their plea to guilty at a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Georgia, after reaching a deal with federal prosecutors on Sunday night. ;<br>Arbery&#8217;s family was ;furious at the Department of Justice for giving two of his killers the plea deal that would have sent them to a relatively cushy federal prison to serve out their life sentences instead of the state penitentiary. ; ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Gregory-McMichael-left-Travis-McMichael-right-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-395270" width="839" height="616"/><figcaption><strong>Killing with impunity: Ex-cop Gregory McMichael [left], and his son Travis McMichael [right] were convicted in the &#8216;callous execution&#8217; of Ahmaud Arbery. They have been sentenced to serve life in prison without parole for the murder</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/William-Roddie-Bryan-7.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-396123" width="837" height="951"/><figcaption><strong>Also convicted on some of the murder charges, William Roddie Bryan, [photo],was sentenced to life but he has been given the possibility of parole</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Travis McMichael pled guilty to using a gun in his attempt to apprehend Arbery because of his &#8216;race and color,&#8217; resulting in Arbery&#8217;s death.<br>But in a ruling on Monday afternoon, the judge rejected the terms of the deal after Arbery&#8217;s mother and other family members begged her to. ;</p>



<p><strong>Facing a total of 27 counts the defendants pled guilty or were acquitted on the following charges:</strong></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p><strong>COUNT 1 &#8211; MALICE MURDER</strong> <br>Causing a person&#8217;s death with deliberate intention without provocation and &#8216;where all the circumstances in the killing show an abandoned and malignant heart&#8217;. ;<br>Travis McMichael &#8211; Guilty <br>Gregory McMichael &#8211; Not guilty <br>William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan &#8211; Not guilty ; ;<br><strong>COUNTS 2, 3, 4 AND 5 &#8211; FELONY MURDER</strong> ;<br>Death caused in the course of committing another felony whether or not the killing was intentional or unprovoked. ;<br>Travis McMichael &#8211; Guilty on all counts<br>Gregory McMichael &#8211; Guilty on all counts<br>William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan &#8211; Guilty on three counts, not guilty on one counts<br><strong>COUNT 6 and 7 &#8211; AGGRAVATED ASSAULT</strong> ;<br>Assault using a deadly weapon. Count six refers to the shotgun used, count 7 refers to the two pickup trucks, driven by Gregory McMichael and William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan to box Arbery in.<br>Travis McMichael &#8211; Guilty ;<br>Gregory McMichael &#8211; ; Not guilty on count 6; Guilty on count 7<br>William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan &#8211; Not guilty on count 6; Guilty on count 7 ;<br><strong>COUNT 8 &#8211; ; FALSE IMPRISONMENT ; ;</strong><br>Arrest, confine, or detain another person without legal authority. ;<br>Travis McMichael &#8211; Guilty ;<br>Gregory McMichael &#8211; ; Guilty<br>William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan &#8211; Guilty<br><strong>COUNT 9 &#8211; CRIMINAL INTENT TO COMMIT A FELONY</strong><br>Performing &#8216;any act which constitutes a substantial step&#8217; toward the intentional commission of a crime ;<br>Travis McMichael &#8211; Guilty ;<br>Gregory McMichael &#8211; ; Guilty ;<br>William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan &#8211; Guilty ;</p></blockquote>



<p>The McMichaels were both sentenced to life without parole for murdering Arbery, while their neighbor William Roddie Bryan, 52, &#8211; who filmed the murder &#8211; was also sentenced to life but will be eligible for parole in 15 years. ;<br>Under the agreements of the deal, the court would have imposed a 30-year sentence on Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael, and it would run concurrent with the life sentences they are already serving as a result of their murder convictions. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ahmaud-Arbery-8.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-346804" width="834" height="850"/><figcaption><strong>Victim: Ahmaud Arbery, 26, was shot dead in cold blood in February 2020 while he was out jogging after he was chased down by the father and son self-appointed white vigilante team of Travis and Gregory McMichael along with their neighbor William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8216;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,&#8217; Judge Wood said on Monday. <br>&#8216;I am not comfortable with accepting the terms of the plea agreement,&#8217; she added. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Al-Sharpton-holds-up-the-hand-of-Wanda-Cooper-Jones-1-1024x675.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-396151"/><figcaption><strong>Reverend Al Sharpton in Nov. 2021 at the state trial, raises the hand of Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones outside court</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Before the revised ruling, Arbery&#8217;s family gave vent to their dismay, in an emotional plea to the court, Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper Jones said: &#8216;I&#8217;m asking on behalf of his family, on the behalf of his memory, and on behalf of fairness that you do not accept this plea.&#8217; ;<br>Adding that the deal would give the men their preference of serving time in a federal prison. ;<br>&#8216;I don&#8217;t need them to say that they were motivated by hate. That does me no good. That does my family no good. I&#8217;ve heard enough from Travis McMichael.&#8217;<br>She added that McMichaels&#8217; testimony at the murder trial &#8216;followed me through the Christmas holiday&#8217;. &#8216;For once, listen to me. It is not right. It is not just. It is wrong. Please listen to me. The state of Georgia already gave these men exactly what they deserve.&#8217;<br>In turn the victim&#8217;s father, Marcus Arbery, told the court: &#8216;They ;killed my son because he’s a black man.&#8217;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Marcus-Arbery-and-Wanda-Cooper-Jones-express-discontent-with-McMichaels-plea-deal-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399123"/><figcaption><strong>Marcus Arbery and Wanda Cooper-Jones express discontent with McMichaels plea deal </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Addressing the court on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Tara M. Lyons said Travis McMichael&#8217;s racial motivations were pre-established due to his license plate which had an image of an old Georgia flag with a Confederate symbol on it. ;<br>&#8216;He had made assumptions about Ahmaud Arbery that he would not have made, if Ahmaud Arbery had been white.&#8217;<br>She added that McMichael also &#8216;associated black skin with criminality.&#8217;<br>&#8216;While race and color need not be the sole cause of a defendant&#8217;s actions [under the statute], they must be a &#8216;but-for&#8217; cause,&#8217; Lyons ; said. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Wanda-Cooper-Jones-left-Lee-Merritt-second-left-with-Reverend-Al-Sharpton-center-Marcus-Arbery-second-right-and-Ben-Crump-right-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399119" width="838" height="540"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones, [left], standing with the family&#8217;s attorney Lee Merritt, [second left], joins Reverend Al Sharpton [center], who was addressing the media at the state trial in November 2021. On the right the reverend is flanked by the victim&#8217;s father <strong>Marcus Arbery, [second right], and civil rights lawyer Ben Crump</strong></strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-video wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-videopress"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="VideoPress Video Player" aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='620' height='348' src='https://videopress.com/embed/nLdg0HbI?cover=1&;preloadContent=metadata&;hd=0' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent="true" allow='clipboard-write'></iframe><script src='https://v0.wordpress.com/js/next/videopress-iframe.js?m=1674852142'></script>
</div><figcaption><strong>Arbery&#8217;s parents express their grievance over the proposed plea deal that would have given the killers a &#8216;cushy time&#8217; in a federal prison</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>The McMichaels were convicted in November, along with William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan, in Arbery&#8217;s murder and were sentenced to serve life without parole, though Bryan was allowed to seek parole. ;<br>The trio, however, were still scheduled to stand trial for federal hate crime ;charges on February 7.<br>The details of the plea agreement were not specified when filed on Sunday. A plea does not appear to have been reached with Bryan.<br>However, Marcus Arbery and Wanda Cooper-Jones, in a statement put out by their attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt early Monday morning, have revealed some of the details of the agreement, which they say is a betrayal of their trust. ;<br>The convicted men legal observers noted, likely tried to get into federal prison because they will be more closely protected there than in state prison. ;In a series of tweets Monday, the family&#8217;s attorney Lee Merritt said: &#8216;Federal prison is a country club when compared to state prison. Federal prisons are less populated, better funded and generally more accommodating than state prisons. These men hurriedly entered this plea deal that would allow them to transfer out of custody from GA prison.&#8217;<br>In a counter, an attorney representing the McMichaels told The Atlanta Journal Constitution that it was unfair to suggest federal prison is more comfortable.<br>&#8216;Anybody who tries to convince the public that one is better than the other or one is cushier than the other has no idea what it&#8217;s like to serve time in prison,&#8217; he said. ; ;<br>After hearing news of the deal, Arbery&#8217;s parents immediately labelled it a betrayal, which they said was an &#8216;unauthorized backroom deal&#8217; that &#8216;is a huge accommodation to the men who hunted down and murdered&#8217; their son. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lee-Merritt-expresses-discontent-with-McMichaels-plea-deal-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399127"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lee-Merritt-expresses-discontent-with-McMichaels-plea-deal-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399129"/><figcaption>L<strong>ee Merritt, an attorney for the Arbery family, said the prison the men would now go to under the deal is like a &#8216;country club&#8217; compared with state prison.</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Lee Merritt, an attorney for the Arbery family, said the prison the men would now go to under the deal is like a &#8216;country club&#8217; compared with state prison.<br>&#8216;Both [Cooper-Jones] and [Arbery] are vehemently against this deal and expressed this directly on calls with DOJ officials today,&#8217; the statement reads. ;<br>They proposed deal would allow the McMichaels to serve 30 years in a &#8216;preferred federal prison&#8217; rather than a state penitentiary. ; ;<br>The DOJ has gone behind my back to offer the men who murdered my son a deal to make their time in prison easier for them to serve,&#8217; she said earlier on Monday. ; ;<br>&#8216;I have made it clear at every possible moment that I do not agree to offer these men a plea deal of any kind. I have been completely betrayed by the DOJ lawyers.&#8217; ; ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ben-Crump-at-Ahmaud-Arbery-trial-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399124" width="838" height="546"/><figcaption><strong>Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump speaks to the Media with Lee Merritt (second from left) outside the Glynn County Courthouse</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Travis and Gregory McMichael were both sentenced to life without parole, while their neighbor William Roddie Bryan, 52, &#8211; who filmed the excruciating murder scene while helping to trap the outnumbered and unarmed jogger- will be eligible for parole. ;<br>Judge Timothy R. Walmsley did not specify how long he would have to spend in prison, but prosecutors asked that he spend at least 15 years behind bars. ;However, typically, the minimum in Georgia is 30 years. ;<br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lee-Merritt-expresses-discontent-with-McMichaels-plea-deal-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399131"/><figcaption><strong>The family&#8217;s attorney insists the &#8216;backroom&#8217; plea deal is a betrayal of trust </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>In handing down his sentence, Walmsley called the murder &#8216;chilling&#8217; and &#8216;disturbing&#8217;. He talked about the &#8216;terror&#8217; Arbery must have felt for the five minutes the men chased him in their pick-up trucks with a shotgun and revolver. ;<br>&#8216;As we all now know based on the verdict that was handed down in this courtroom, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered. It&#8217;s a tragedy. It&#8217;s a tragedy on many, many levels.<br>&#8216;On February 23, 2020&#8230;a young man with dreams was gunned down in this community. ;As we understand it, he went for a run and he ended up running for his life.&#8217; ;<br>To emphasize how long the five-minute chase must have felt for Arbery, the judge sat silently for a minute in the courtroom. ;&#8216;That one minute represents a fraction of the time that Ahmaud Arbery was running in Satilla Shores. ;The chase that occurred, occurred over a five minute period. ;<br>&#8221;When I thought ;about this, I kept coming back to the terror that must have been in the mind of the young man running through Satilla Shores,&#8217; he said. ;<br>&#8216;He was hunted down and shot and he was killed because individuals took the law into their own hands.&#8217; ;</p>



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</div><figcaption><strong>All three of Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s murderers received life sentences. The judge said the men never showed any remorse</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Before handing the three men convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery life sentences, Judge Timothy Walmsley recited some of the comments made by the McMichael father and son after the shooting, to prove that it was a &#8216;callous&#8217; execution. <br>They never showed any remorse, the judge observed: &#8216;Remorse is something that&#8217;s felt and demonstrated. <br>&#8216;In this case, getting back to the video, after Ahmaud Arbery fell, the McMichael&#8217;s turned their ;backs. They walked away. This was a killing. It was callous and it occurred ;because confrontation was being sought. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Travis-McMichael-at-sentencing-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399141" width="836" height="540"/><figcaption><strong>&#8216;Callous&#8217; executioner Travis McMichael, [left], has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for shooting dead Ahmaud Arbery in 2020</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Gregory-McMichael-at-sentencing-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399143" width="845" height="542"/><figcaption><strong>Guilty: Former county police officer and DA&#8217;s investigator Gregory McMichael, Travis&#8217;s 66-year-old father, will also die in prison under the life without parole sentence</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/William-Roddie-Bryan-8.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399145" width="850" height="542"/><figcaption><strong>Guilty: Third defendant William Roddie Bryan, the McMichael&#8217;s 52-year-old neighbor who filmed the murder, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. Prosecutors asked that he should serve at least 15 years behind bars, whereas the minimum in the state of Georgia is 30 years </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8216;The most violent crime in Satilla Shores was the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. ;<br>&#8216;The record speaks for itself. Greg McMichael tried to establish a narrative. He said he was ;&#8216;trapped like a rat.&#8217;<br>He said, &#8216;stop or I&#8217;ll blow your f*****g head off.&#8217; ;<br>&#8216;He told Travis &#8216;you have no choice&#8217;. <br>He also said, &#8216;If I could have gotten a shot at the guy, I would have shot him.&#8221; ;<br>Unlike the father and son, Bryan appeared to show some remorse in the days and weeks after the killing, Judge Walmsley said. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-video wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-videopress"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="VideoPress Video Player" aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='620' height='347' src='https://videopress.com/embed/XyVzuf3T?cover=1&;preloadContent=metadata&;hd=0' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent="true" allow='clipboard-write'></iframe><script src='https://v0.wordpress.com/js/next/videopress-iframe.js?m=1674852142'></script>
</div><figcaption><strong>Grieving dad Marcus Arbery speaking on the death of his son Ahmaud said &#8216;my son was lynched in broad daylight&#8217;</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Timothy-Walmsley-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-394542" width="843" height="638"/><figcaption><strong>Judge Timothy Walmsley on Friday called the killing &#8216;chilling&#8217; and &#8216;disturbing.&#8217; He talked about the &#8216;terror&#8217; Arbery must have felt as the men chased him in their pick-up trucks for five minutes</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>However all three acted as vigilantes, chasing down Arbery and then murdering him because they were &#8216;seeking confrontation.&#8217; ; ;<br>&#8216;Taking the law into your own hands is a dangerous endeavor. Ultimately with regard to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery it holds us all ;accountable. At a minimum his death should force us to consider expanding our definition of what a neighbor may be and how we treat them. ;<br>&#8216;I believe that assuming the worst in others, we show our worst character. Assuming the best in others is always the best course of action. ;Maybe those are the grand lessons of this case,&#8217; the judge said.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-video wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-videopress"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="VideoPress Video Player" aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='620' height='347' src='https://videopress.com/embed/ZSippfk6?cover=1&;preloadContent=metadata&;hd=0' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent="true" allow='clipboard-write'></iframe><script src='https://v0.wordpress.com/js/next/videopress-iframe.js?m=1674852142'></script>
</div><figcaption><strong>The three men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery leaving court after sentencing on Friday</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>There were celebrations outside the court as the sentences were read aloud. ; ;He then recited some of the comments made by the McMichaels after the shooting to prove that it was a &#8216;callous&#8217; execution, and said they never showed any remorse. ;<br>&#8216;Remorse is something that&#8217;s felt and demonstrated. In this case, getting back to the video, after Ahmaud Arbery fell, the McMichael&#8217;s turned their ;backs. They walked away. This was a killing. It was callous and it occurred ;because confrontation was being sought. ;<br>&#8216;The most violent crime in Satilla Shores was the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. ;<br>&#8216;The record speaks for itself. Greg McMichael tried to establish a narrative. He said he was ;&#8216;trapped like a rat.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Ahmaud-Arbery-5.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-394559" width="765" height="952"/><figcaption><strong>Killed: Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia, U.S. on February 23, 2020, one year on</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Earlier, Arbery&#8217;s parents asked a judge to sentence his killers to life without parole on Friday at a courthouse in Georgia, saying they &#8216;lynched him in broad daylight&#8217; and targeted him when he felt most &#8216;free and alive&#8217;. ; ;<br>On February 23, 2020, the McMichaels and Bryan chased Arbery, a 26-year-old black man, through a street in ;Satilla Shores. <br>The men said they thought Arbery was a burglar. ;<br>Travis McMichael pulled the trigger, with his father nearby. <br>Roddie Bryan filmed the entire incident on his phone. ;<br>In November, they were all convicted of murder &#8211; which carries a mandatory life sentence &#8211; Prosecutors chose not to seek the death penalty. ; ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Travis-McMichael-right-shoots-Ahmaud-Arbery-left-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-351314" width="840" height="710"/><figcaption><strong> Painful video shows the moment Ahmaud Arbery was chased down by the armed team of Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael while the 25-year-old unarmed black man was jogging through their white neighborhood. He was then shot dead by Travis McMichael. The McMichaels were joined in the chase and assisted by neighbor ,William Roddie Bryan, who also recorded the entire incident </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Gregory and Travis McMichael and their neighbor William Brian Jr were found a guilty of murder in state court on November 23 by a panel of 11 white jurors and one black juror. <br>In compiling that jury pool, 1,000 people in the mostly-white Glynn County were called. </p>



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</div><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery is chased down and shot dead while jogging through a predominantly white neighborhood in rural Georgia in February 2020</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Wanda-Cooper-Jones-5.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399107" width="838" height="533"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones, center, speaks with supporters after Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced Greg McMichael, his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan, Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick ;</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Marcus-Arbery-left-and-Wanda-Cooper-Jones-right-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399104" width="857" height="449"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s Parents Marcus Arbery [left] and Wanda Cooper Jones [right], asked a judge to impose the maximum sentence possible for his killers &#8211; life without parole</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Arbery&#8217;s father Marcus spoke first, telling the court: &#8216;The man who killed my son has sat in this courtroom every day next to his father. I&#8217;ll ;never get the chance of sitting next to my son ;ever again. Not at a dinner table, not at a holiday, not at a wedding. I pray that no one in this courtroom has to do what we had &#8211; bury their child.&#8217; ;<br>Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper Jones was next pleading with the court: &#8216;They were fully committed to their crimes &#8211; let them ;be fully committed for the consequences.&#8217; ; ;<br>She then told the judge: &#8216;Your honor, I am standing here before you today as the mother of Ahmaud Arbery asking you to please ;give all three defendants who are responsible for the death of my son, the maximum punishment which I do believe is life without bars without the possible chance for parole.&#8217; ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Wanda-Cooper-Jones-leavees-court-with-supporters-after-sons-kilers-are-sentenced-1.jpg" alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wanda-Cooper-Jones-leavees-court-with-supporters-after-sons-kilers-are-sentenced-1.jpg" width="840" height="544"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper Jones walked out of court, arms raised celebrating the guilty verdict with her family on Friday after all three men who killed her son were sentenced to life behind bars &#8211; Only one with the possibility of parole</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Travis-McMichael-leaving-the-court-house-in-shackles-after-being-sentenced-to-life-without-parole-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399163" width="835" height="538"/><figcaption><strong>Gunman Travis McMichael is seen leaving the court house in shackles after being sentenced to life without parole on Friday</strong> <strong>&#8211; At sentencing, defense lawyers asked the judge to grant the men parole. That request was refused for Travis and his father Gregory McMichael</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Gregory-McMichael-leaving-the-court-house-in-shackles-after-being-sentenced-to-life-without-parole-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399166" width="845" height="549"/><figcaption><strong>Ex county cop Gregory McMichael, 66, is seen in handcuffed as he&#8217;s led out of the court house after being sentenced to life in prison without parole, which in all probability means he will die behind bars</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/William-Roddie-Bryan-leaving-the-court-house-in-handcuffs-after-being-sentenced-to-life-with-parole-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399169" width="844" height="545"/><figcaption><strong>William Roddie Bryan is led out of the court house to serve his sentence. He was the only convicted killer to be granted the option of parole in his life sentence </strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>The men&#8217;s lawyers are asking that they be granted parole after 30 years. Prosecutors have asked the judge not to grant any of the men parole. ;<br>The victim&#8217;s mother in her impact statement remembered her son Ahmaud as a &#8216;loving&#8217; baby who &#8216;never seemed to tire of cuddles, hugs and kisses.&#8217; <br>Emphasizing the hate element in the case Cooper-Jones said &#8216;This wasn&#8217;t a case of mistaken identity or mistaken fact. They chose to target my son because they didn&#8217;t ;want him in their community they chose to treat him differently when they couldn&#8217;t sufficiently scare him or ;intimidate him, they killed him.&#8217; <br>She ended by asking for the maximum punishment: &#8216;They were fully committed to their crimes &#8211; let them be fully committed for the consequences.<br>&#8216;I&#8217;m standing here before you asking you to please ;give all three defendants who are responsible for the death of my son, the maximum punishment ;in this court which I do believe is life without ;bars without the possible chance for parole&#8217;. ; <br>His father Marcus Arbery recounted how his son loved to run more than anything because it made him feel &#8216;free&#8217;. ;<br>&#8216;Not only did they lynch my son in broad daylight but they killed him when he was doing what he loved more than anything &#8211; running. ;<br>&#8216;That&#8217;s when he felt most alive. Most free. And they took all of that from him.<br>&#8216;When I close my eyes, I see his execution over and over. I&#8217;ll see that for the rest of my life. ; ;<br>&#8216;When I ;became a father my life became bigger than me, it became bigger than me about my family, ;protecting him, protecting my boy. I know ;in my head that there is nothing I ;could have done that day to have saved my son. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ahmaud-Arbery-left-was-boxed-in-by-Gregory-Bryans-truck-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-377993" width="852" height="591"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery was running through the mostly white residential neighborhood of Satilla Shores, Georgia on the afternoon of Feb. 23 when the McMichaels decided to grab their guns, jump in a pickup truck and give chase</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Arbery, a 25-year-old avid jogger, was running through the mostly white residential neighborhood of Satilla Shores on the afternoon of Feb. 23 when the McMichaels decided to grab their guns, jump in a pickup truck and give chase.<br>The younger McMichael would later testify to the jury they had a hunch Arbery might be fleeing a crime. <br>Bryan joined the chase in his own pickup truck after it passed his driveway, and pulled out his cellphone to record Travis McMichael firing a shotgun at Arbery at close range. ;<br>Arbery had nothing on him besides his running clothes and sneakers. <br>The video caused outrage when it emerged months later and it became clear that none of the men involved had yet been arrested after a local prosecutor concluded the killing was justified.</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>A Family&#8217;s Grief</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Wanda-Cooper-Jones-weeps-in-court-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399188" width="841" height="542"/><figcaption><strong>Ahmaud Arbery&#8217;s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones wipes a tear from her eyes while listening to her daughter&#8217;s impact statement to Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jasmine-Arbery-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399191" width="838" height="531"/><figcaption><strong>Jasmine Arbery wipes a tear from her eyes while listening to her mother&#8217;s impact statement in the Glynn County Courthouse, Brunswick, Georgia on Jan 7, 2022, during the sentencing of the men who murdered her brother &#8211; Greg and Travis McMichael, with their neighbor, William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Marcus-Arbery-in-court-during-sentencing-of-his-sons-killers-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399193" width="838" height="538"/><figcaption>A<strong>hmaud Arbery&#8217;s father Marcus Arbery, center, sits in the courtroom with other family members during the sentencing of Greg McMichael, his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William &#8216;Roddie&#8217; Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game Over For Killers</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Travis-McMichael-left-Gregory-McMichael-center-and-William-Roddie-Bryan-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399207"/><figcaption><strong>Travis McMichael [left], Gregory McMichael [center], and William Roddie Bryan [right] arrive court in Brunswick, Georgia, on Friday to be sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The men had all been found guilty in murder of Arbery, a 25-year-old black man jogging through their neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Defense attorneys then pled with the judge not to sentence the men to the harshest possible term. ;<br>Gregory McMichael&#8217;s attorney, Laura Hogue, called him a &#8216;man of goodness&#8217; and referred to the killing as a &#8216;five minute chase that ended in tragedy.&#8217; <br>&#8216;Greg McMichael is a good man. He is not a perfect person but none of us are. ;<br>&#8216;The choices he made as a young man, all the way ;through to the rest of his life, to serve, not to acquire wealth, but to quietly go through the business of choosing career options to help other people. ;<br>&#8216;I say without hesitation he remains a man of goodness,&#8217; she said. ; <br>However for Wanda Cooper-jones, &#8216;The day has finally come that we will get ;justice. ;<br>&#8216;The day my family an I have prayed for&#8230; it ;has finally come,&#8217; ;Cooper-Jones concluded.</p>

Judge rejects plea deal for three Georgia men who killed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery, on hate crime charges: Travis and Gregory McMichael to serve life – no parole – in state prison, William Bryan gets possible parole on life sentence
