Only 1 Black Juror Chosen for Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder Trial

The murder trial for Ahmaud Arbery will move forward, despite having a racially disproportionate jury.

On Wednesday, following a process that lasted two and a half weeks, a jury was selected for the case, in which three white men — Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan — have been accused of killing the 25-year-old Black man, who was chased through a suburban Georgia neighborhood in February 2020.

Though more than 25% of Glynn County is Black, the jury consists of 11 white people and only one Black person.

Linda Dunikoski, a special prosecutor from the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, called into question the defense’s removal of eight Black potential jurors, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that makes it unconstitutional to strike people from a jury solely because of their race.

As quoted by The New York Times, Judge Timothy R. Walmsley acknowledged that “quite a few African American jurors were excused through peremptory strikes executed by the defense.”

The judge also said, per CNN, "This court has found that there appears to be intentional discrimination.”

Despite this acknowledgement, Judge Walmsley has decided to move forward with the trial.

“But that doesn’t mean that the court has the authority to reseat, simply, again, because there’s this prima facie case,” he said.

Ultimately, Judge Walmsley ruled that for each of the eight stricken jurors, the defense had provided a “legitimate, nondiscriminatory, clear, reasonably specific and related reason” as to why the potential juror should not be seated.

"One of the challenges that I think counsel recognized in this case is the racial overtones in the case,” he continued. “This is sort of the continuation of a conversation that I think will continue for a long time, with respect to this case.”

The judge did say, however, that he would consider a number of motions on Thursday, as the trial is expected to begin Friday morning.

On February 23, 2020, Travis allegedly fired three shots from a shotgun at Ahmaud, while his father Gregory McMichael allegedly watched the shooting while standing in the bed of a pickup truck. William “filmed the incident on his cell phone,” and according to Gregory, “attempted to block” Ahmaud as he ran.

In July, Travis, Gregory, and William all pleaded not guilty to one charge of malice murder, four charges of felony murder, two charges of aggravated assault, one charge of false imprisonment, and one charge of criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

Per The Times, the men’s lawyers are expected to argue that their clients, who suspected Ahmaud of committing a series of break-ins in the neighborhood, were carrying out a legal citizen’s arrest under a state statute that has since been largely repealed.

However, prosecutors are likely to claim that the men had no right to make an arrest, and that they should be held responsible for Ahmaud’s death.