Attorneys for the men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery are requesting that a Georgia judge bar reporters from the courtroom during the jury selection process set to begin later this year.
The lawyers representing Greg and Travis McMichael, the father and son charged with the murder of 25-year-old Arbery last February filed a motion Wednesday (July 14) to keep the media out as potential jurors are questioned, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
William Bryant, a neighbor who joined the father and son in pursuing Arbery while he was jogging through a Georgia neighborhood, is also facing murder charges in the case.
In the motion filed to the court, the defendants’ legal team moved to have a three-step process in the jury selection process. First, potential jurors would be asked to answer a written questionnaire before being brought into the courtroom one at a time to answer questions from the judge and lawyers for both sides. The third proposed step would be to further question potential jurors in groups of 12.
Video of Arbery’s killing circulated social media, sparking outrage across the state. Details of the case, and claims of mismanagement by county legal officials fueled national protests months after Arbery’s killing and amidst widespread protests following the killing of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
Jury selection in the trial of the McMichael’s and Bryant is scheduled to start October 18 of this year.
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