I lived on Saint Simons Island for a couple of years and worked at a small college as an assistant professor in Brunswick at the time. Most of you know that I am reading specialist, and a very bad typist especially after a few glasses of wine. For whatever reason I am not as into this trial as I am the Rittenhouse one. I kind of thought it was an open and shut case. I have to tell you that white people, particularly in south Georgia are mostly racist. This was the place where I bought groceries when I lived there. I also lived in walking distance of a very fancy pants place on Saint Simons who had a menu that changed with the seasons and was completely gone sometimes. I was a young white wine drinker at the time and ordered Pinot Grigio with my meal and will never forget that waitress basically telling me I ordered Pinot Noir. I had never had Pinot Noir in my life.
Anyway, I know and love the area. I am old and only remember important things or random things I don’t know how it works but I can’t remember any grocery shopping. Where did I buy groceries? I imagine it must have been in Brunswick. I was young and just probably did it on my way home from teaching. I’m not trying to say that the deep south has a lot racists but as delightful as the people of Brunswick were to me, I still thought that the defendants in this case needed to go to jail.
I’m not sure the prosecution is proving their case. I am leading to the defense. What are you doing? Are you watching the trial. Also this is the most slow moving trial ever. I’m bored. GET WITH IT.
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They shot that kid in cold blood. He was wearing running shorts, a tee shirt, and running shoes, clearly not a threat to three armed men. It seems so open and shut that it was a racially motivated murder. I hope that justice will be done. If those pigs get off it’s going to send a terrifying message to the gun crazed white supremacists that are already foaming at the mouth like the rabid dogs they are.
Beachmary1, Please try to keep the legal points at the forefront. They are the only points that should matter. When you say things like this… I made it a poem for you…
“If those pigs get off
it’s going to send a terrifying message
to the gun crazed white supremacists
that are already foaming at the mouth
like the rabid dogs they are.”
It seems you think they might get off. I don’t see why you would think they would get off—it’s pretty obvious they murdered him with malice aforethought. All three were involved in Arbery’s murder and all three should be sentenced to life without parole.
Thank you for letting us know what is going on with the trial. I’m too terrified to watch. Maybe the prosecutor is throwing the case on purpose.
Actually, the prosecutor was REALLY GOOD today. I have faith in a conviction at this point tomorrow is closing arguments that I will probably miss do to my fucked up sleep schedule.
I agree that is has been boring up.to now. The most the defense was focused on the public gallery. They objected to Jessie Jackson being in the courtroom. Jessie had not been there but did show up so they did not look like fools. Jessie has been sick so it was a lot for him to attend. So kudos Jessie. Yesterday, Travis,Who was the actual shooter told his side of the shooting. He is c!aiming self defense. I was shocked. 3 armed men in 2 trucks chase a unarmed black man down like a animal had every intention of killing him.
Today, black pastors FROM LIKE EVERYWHERE descended outside for a prayer vigil. It was AH MAZING in a religious sort of Fuck the defense way.
I’m gobsmacked (!!) that he’s claiming “self -defense” saying, “WTF? What balls! The sense of entitlement, how dare Ahmed refuse to stop when ordered. Thank God for the video. Divine justice that the video proof of their crimes comes from the defense.
If these aren’t convictions in this trial, then it’s one time I agree there should be a black uprising. (Not the only one ever.) I am not able to watch, but initial reports of crime sounded clearly racist. So terrible!
They better be found GUILTY.
I agree they should be found guilty. The audacity to claim self defense! It makes me want to scream!! They hunted this poor kid down. Wouldn’t you try to take the gun away from someone that’s trying to shoot you? Self defense my butt.
And the makeovers! They really cleaned those guys up, like they had a visit from Queer Eye.
I just came back to mention THE MAKEOVERS!!! It sucks that appearances sway a jury, but the defendant looked so different yesterday!! Not like the red neck MF he is.
That is so true. You looked like a redneck yesterday, but now you are wearing a suit.
You noticed that too?? I was kinda distracted by it.
A young man was running down the road and that’s it. No indication that he ever did more than look around those construction sites. This trial is upsetting and it will be a miscarriage of justice if those 3 men get off.
It’s difficult for me, a Black woman to watch any of these trials. It’s doubly difficult, as a Black woman AND a prosecutor, to watch these trials when it often appears to me that the prosecutors are intentionally trying to throw the trial, or are going about it in a way that obfuscates the succinctness of what happened. And as a Georgian, it just depresses me to see this. Yes, I know (as TT has already said) that south Georgia is racist. I’ve worked there, I’ve seen it, I’ve experienced it. (When I was a PD in Marion County, GA, the sheriff referred to me as that uppity ni&&a gal from Columbus on several occasions, so I know that racism is still very much alive in most of rural Georgia.) However, the cousins of some of these folks are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but I digress. I don’t think the prosecutor is trying to throw the Arbury trial, but I do think that some of her better points are getting lost in the finer details. Don’t get me wrong, many cases are won and lost in the finer details, but at the pace she is going, and in the way she is cross-examining the defendant who was the shooter, it appears that her points are getting lost in minutiae Oh, and I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with what another commentator said. Those defendants have had the makeover of a lifetime. They don’t even look like the same racists that hunted a man down and killed him in cold blood.
I love this comment. Perfect.
I love your post. Informative and about the racism, unfortunately too true.
Thank you Cecelia. I agree with your points. The cross-examination drove me crazy…open-ended questions…no no no. Both these trials are frustrating. I wish someone would ask that cleaned-up redneck why couldn’t he see that a black man might be fearful of Bubba following him in a truck with confederate flag and a shotgun? Shooter keeps telling how HE felt so fearful…then stay on your porch moron. Ugh!
But my favorite? The good ol boy defense attorney complaining about black pastors, including ones that weren’t even there. He clearly doesn’t know black folks, because now…we will flood that city with pastors. Pastors on parade, public prayer circles, and a lot of preaching. I’m loving it.
OH THAT HAPPENED TODAY AND IT WAS GLORIOUS! So many black pastors held a huge prayer vigil outside the courthouse.
“When I was a PD in Marion County, GA, the sheriff referred to me as that uppity ni&&a gal from Columbus on several occasions. ”
OMG. I don’t know why I am shocked but I lived below the gnat line for many years so it should not surprise me.
That said, I found the shooter to be a sympathetic witness. Not the redneck I saw in the mug shots. He’s educated, articulate, has coast guard experience, he talked about being a father and I just thought the defense did GREAT putting him on the stand. The brought in six neighbors to talk about the increase of crime in the neighborhood. I thought he really helped himself by taking the stand. BUT THEN, there is the whole HE KILLED A KID FOR NO FUCKING REASON THING. I could see the judge sentencing him on the lower end of the range after this. He’s not the redneck moron I thought he was in the beginning.
Does anyone know what the charges are on the other two guys who are on trial? It seems like an awful lot for one jury to decide three cases at once.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. It’s always interesting listening to people who actually know what they’re talking about. It’s mostly middle aged white men discussing the case on TV.
there are videos of white couple and white kids going into the constructions site yet they did not jump in trucks with weapons to run them down and kill. Pure racist.
Exactly. It’s very common at least where I live to check out new construction going on. I did it at a house next door to me. The workers were there and actually showed me around once the house was completed. It’s gorgeous by the way.
On the other hand, I’ve been to court for doing the same thing at Chateau Sheree, LOL.
They are guilty as FUCK! May they rot in Hell!
This is why I love the site, commenters and have hope. As said GUILTY.
I felt like today was a good day for the prosecution.
I thought I could watch this trial, but I just can’t. It is just too painful and the thought of them potentially getting off is past what I can handle right now.
TT IM 60 years old and a black female whose seen a lot in my life, but I’m so sick of what’s happening in these trials, but if they don’t convict these men and give them real time its going to get ugly, and this time it won’t be just people protesting it will be people getting killed, because they are letting them know it’s ok to kill blacks with repercussions, we might just end up with the race war the white supremacy has been trying to provoke , and that is what I fear the most, and whose gonna stop it not the government our representatives are so caught up in this that there’s no one who will be able to control the the masses. Hell the county I live in just held an election for mayor, and it was the most racist election I’ve ever seen, we just found out who won and my neighbors are all in a uproar, because both sides swear that the the other side cheated, I’m at the point where after being locked inside for 20 months I could just close my eyes and never wake up again to this hateful world❗️
Watching snippets of this trial I cannot imagine any sentence but guilty. That man was just looking at new construction and jogging. His unnecessary death pains my heart. I pray the three men are found guilty.
I am a widow age 67 white retired woman that taught and loved ALL races. We are equal period.
Hi, Beets here, I feel like I know enough to say the three white men are guilty, no question. First degree murder for the shooter and driver and something equal for the driver/photographer behind them. It is as obvious as the Rittenhouse trial.
And it’s guilty across the board. These half wits will never see the light of day again. Good riddance.
I finally can breathe again after the disgraceful Rittenhouse verdict. Whew- justice was done! Sorry Ahmaud Arbery had to die. These trials have made so many of us look at the flaws in our justice system. Hopefully these wrongs can be fixed and soon!
What were the flaws in Arbery?
The defense attorney had to come up with something, he chose self defense which is utterly laughable but that’s his job.
Other than that the jury got it right. Just as the jury in Rittenhouse did.
The jury selection was bothersome – 11 white and only one black juror in a county comprised of over 26% black citizens.
1,000 summonses went out; less than half of those summoned showed up; the ones that were struck during voir dire had disclosed that they had made up their minds that the men were guilty. It took 2 and a half weeks for jury selection. The prosecutors were replaced with a Cobb County prosecutor (just outside Atlanta). It may be bothersome but when you can’t get people to serve, this is what you’re left with.