An attorney for one of three white men standing trial in the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia says he doesn't want “any more Black pastors” in the courtroom. Kevin Gough made the comment a day after the Rev. Al Sharpton sat in back of the courtroom.
Defense attorney Kevin Gough addresses the court during the trial for the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 in Brunswick, Ga. Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, are charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Arbery.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — An attorney for one of the white men standing trial in the death of Ahmaud Arbery told the judge Thursday he doesn’t want “any more Black pastors” in the courtroom after the Rev. Al Sharpton sat with the slain man’s family. Kevin Gough represents William “Roddie” Bryan, who along with father and son Greg and Travis McMichael isin Arbery’s Feb. 23, 2020, killing. The 25-year-old Black man was chased and fatally shot after the defendants spotted him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick.
Gough told Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley that he was concerned Sharpton’s presence in court Wednesday was an attempt to intimidate the disproportionately white jury hearing the case. The jury was not in the courtroom when he made the remarks.“Obviously there’s only so many pastors they can have,” Gough said. “And if their pastor’s Al Sharpton right now that’s fine, but then that’s it. We don’t want any more Black pastors coming in here ...
Jason Sheffield, one of Travis McMichael’s lawyers, told the judge he didn’t notice any distractions caused by Sharpton, who sat in the back row of the courtroom gallery wearing a mask.“You weren’t even aware of it until later?” the judge said. “I’m not sure what we’re doing.”outside the Glynn County courthouse Wednesday afternoon to show support for Arbery’s family. Afterward he joined Arbery’s parents and their lawyers to listen to portions of the trial testimony.
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