Ahmaud Arbery plea agreement reached in federal hate crime McMichaels case
Federal prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with two of the three Georgia men facing hate crimes charges in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, court documents show.
Details of the settlement were not included in the notice, but Justice Department lawyers have asked the U.S. Southern District Court in Georgia to “handle” the pending charges against the father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael, according to the documents filed. late Sunday.
A notice of a plea agreement was not filed with the third man charged in Arbery’s death, William “Roddie” Bryan.
Earlier this month, McMichaels and Bryan were sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty by a Georgia jury of murder and other charges.
Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Arbery’s parents, said the agreement will allow McMichaels to serve for the first 30 years about their sentences in federal prison, which he called “a colossal accommodation” because federal prisons are generally less crowded, better funded and safer, according to the statement posted. online.
Merritt said Arbery’s parents, Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Arbery, are “vehemently” opposed to the deal and plan to challenge the plea in court on Monday.
Cooper-Jones said in a statement released by Merritt: “The DOJ has stood behind me to suggest that the people who killed my son come to an agreement to make it easier for them to serve their sentences in prison.”
IDEA:Life sentence in Arbery murder, but still far from BLM goal of black corpse justice
The three men were federally charged with hate and attempted kidnapping after they chased Arbery, 25, in his truck while he was driving through the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23, 2020. At the time of Arbery’s murder, Georgia has no laws against hate crimes.
Travis McMichael, who fatally shot Arbery during the confrontation, and Gregory McMichael also face additional federal charges for using a firearm during the crime.
Earlier this month, Travis McMichael, 35, and Gregory McMichael, 65, were sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years without the possibility of parole. Their 52-year-old neighbor Bryan, who filmed the murder, received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
If the men are convicted in a federal hate crime trial, which is scheduled to begin February 7, they could face additional life sentences.
Officials from the Justice Department and Travis McMichael’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the details of the plea agreement. AJ Balbo, an attorney for Greg McMichael, declined to comment on a pending case.
Tim Floyd, a professor of criminal law at Mercer University, Georgia, said that while some federal prisons with minimum security levels are known for their leniency towards defendants, it is unlikely that someone convicted of murder will be in one of those establishments.
“I hate to generalize that one is going to be so much worse than the other,” Floyd said. “They are facing a difficult situation wherever they end up in prison.”
While prosecutors typically consider the wishes of surviving family members, attorneys and judges ultimately have the final say on plea agreements, Floyd noted.
SEND TO:3 men sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery
Floyd said the plea agreement could benefit federal prosecutors because it ensures defendants go to jail even if they can appeal the verdicts of their state courts.
“It’s an assurance to prosecutors at both the state and federal levels that if they get them to plead guilty, they’ll essentially be in prison for the rest of their lives,” he said. “A plea appeal is much more difficult to succeed than a trial.”
Floyd says the deal could also benefit Bryan. Bryan’s attorney, Kevin Gough, moved several times during the state murder trial to separate his case from the McMichaels.
Contributing: Raisa Habersham, Savannah Morning News
Follow N’dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg