January 31, 2022
Convicted Killers of Ahmaud Arbery, Gregory and Travis McMichael, Reach Plea Deal in Federal Hate Crimes Case
UPDATE: The plea deal the McMichaels reached with the Department of Justice was rejected by a judge, the NYTimes reports. Ahmaud Arbery’s family strongly voiced their discontent with the deal to allow the killers to spend time in federal prison and not state prison. The Arbery family attorney Lee Merritt called it a “back room deal represents a betrayal to the Arbery family who is devastated.”
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In the upcoming federal trial of the convicted killers of Ahmaud Arbery, the prosecutors in the case against Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael have reached a plea deal on federal hate crimes charges, CNN reports.
Fellow convicted killer William “Roddie” Bryan was not mentioned in the agreement news.
According to court documents presented late Sunday, the U.S. attorneys submitted a notice of two plea agreements for Gregory and his son Travis to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District in Georgia.
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who objected to a previous deal that the attorneys wanted to offer, stated through her lawyer, Lee Merritt, that she “will oppose this deal before the Court.”
Merritt also stated that “this back room deal represents a betrayal to the Arbery family who is devastated.”
Earlier this month, Gregory McMichael, 64, was found guilty on eight of nine charges, and received life without parole plus 20 years in prison for his role. His son, Travis McMichael, 34, who shot and killed Arbery and was found guilty on all counts received life in prison plus 20 years as well.
Judge Walmsley acknowledged William Bryan Jr., who recorded the shooting and was found guilty on all but three charges, questioned what happened at the scene, but also acknowledged he was convicted of the crime. Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Bryan, who is in his 50s, will not be eligible for parole until he is in his 80s.
The three men were found guilty of murder and aggravated assault charges in November and showed little expression as they were sentenced.
“A copy of the plea agreement has been provided to the Court for its consideration,” it states in the notices of plea agreements that were filed Sunday in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia.
Cooper-Jones’ attorney responded to the action via his Twitter account after hearing news of the papers filed.
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 31, 2022
Gregory & Travis McMichael have signed plea deals with the DOJ to allow the men— serving Life Without the Possibility of Parole in GA state prison— to transfer to preferred Federal Custody.
This back room deal represents a betrayal to the Arbery family who is devastated. pic.twitter.com/SAVG1syLS9
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 31, 2022
By admitting they were motivated by hate when they hunted & murdered Ahmaud Arbery these men get to transfer to safer, less crowded & more orderly federal detention facilities.
In essence they get to publicly brag about their hatred & then be rewarded by the federal government.
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 31, 2022
Federal prison is a country club when compared to state prison. Federal prisons are less populated, better funded and generally more accommodating than state prisons.
These men hurriedly entered this plea deal that would allow them to transfer out of custody from GA prison.
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 31, 2022
Wanda Cooper Jones kept her promise to Ahmaud Arbery to get her son justice. Today the DOJ is attempting to ‘snatch defeat from the jaws of victory’. We will not allow it. The Arbery family has worked too hard to see these men spend the rest of their lives in state custody.
— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) January 31, 2022