A defense attorney for one of the men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery has tried to prevent his family from having high-profile supporters in the courtroom, saying: “We don’t want any more Black pastors in here.”
Kevin Gough, who represents William “Roddie” Bryan, claimed the presence of high-profile members of the African-American community in the courtroom would “intimidate” the jury.
“If we’re going to start a precedent starting yesterday where we’re going to bring high-profile members of the African-American community into the courtroom to sit with the family during the trial in the presence of the jury I believe intimidating, that’s an attempt to pressure... or influence the jury,” Mr Gough said.
“The idea that we’re going to be serially bringing these people in to sit with the victim’s family one after another.
“There’s only so many pastors they can have, if their pastor is Al Sharpton right now that’s fine, but that’s it,” Mr Gough said.
“We don’t want any more Black pastors in here,” he said.
Mr Gough then made a bizarre reference to Colonel Sanders, saying: “If a bunch of folks came in here dressed like Colonel Sanders with white masks sitting in the back...”
Judge Timothy Walmsley refused the request, saying: “I’m not going to start blanketly excluding members of the public from this courtroom.”
Bryan, Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael are on trial for the murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020.
