Jonathan Allen and Rich McKay

BRUNSWICK (Ga.) – A nearly all-white Georgia jury will listen to opening arguments Friday in the case against three men who are accused of chasing Ahmaud Arbery down, killing him and attempting to burglarize his home.

After a cellphone video of one of the defendants was made public, the national outrage erupted when Arbery (25), was shot in Brunswick (NYSE) in February 2020.

Arbery’s family members, who have been present at jury selection since Oct. 18 in Glynn County Superior Court Brunswick, have claimed that Arbery was selected because of his race.

Gregory McMichael (65) was a former policeman. Travis McMichael (35) is his son and William “Roddie Bryan (52) are both facing charges for murder, assault, and false imprisonment.

If convicted of the murders, all have pleaded guilty. The men were dressed in suits, ties and brought from nearby jail daily to participate in jury selection. On Wednesday, a jury was selected consisting of eleven white persons and one Black member.

Bryan McMichaels, and Bryan followed Arbery in their pickup trucks. He was running through Satilla Shores on Sunday afternoon when they confronted Bryan. According to police, Travis McMichael opened fire three times on Arbery after he initially wrestled with it and then fled.

Arbery, the defendants claimed they believed was a burglar. They were also trying to get a citizen arrested. Arbery entered the nearby vacant house, where construction was underway. The owner claims nothing was stolen and believes Arbery stopped in for water.

Attorneys for defense argue that these men were operating within the limits of Georgia’s now-defunct “citizens’ arrest” law. It allows anyone to take someone into custody who they believe has committed a felony and is trying to flee.

The shooting prompted state legislators to repeal the law. They claimed it was too expansive. It was an “old law from the Civil War era, which is ripe to be abused,” Governor Brian Kemp stated.

The defense attorneys also claim self-defense as Bryan’s video shows Arbery facing Travis McMichael, and then grabbing Bryan’s shotgun. This is what they call an attack.

INTENT IS THE KEY

Prosecutors are expected to show jurors Bryan’s cellphone video as they seek to persuade jurors to convict the men on the most serious charges — malice murder and felony murder, which are Georgia’s versions of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors don’t have to prove that Arbery was killed by the defendants. They must instead show that Arbery was killed with malice, or when they were committing another crime, like the one they also face for aggravated assault.

Mawuli Davi, a Atlanta civil rights attorney and activist, explained that it was the intention of the underlying offenses as well as the end result in an interview. Did someone actually die in the commission of these offenses?” This makes it murder regardless of intent to kill.

Thea Brooks (37), Arbery’s aunt, said that she has organized demonstrations. She plans to support her nephew, who is a former NFL star.

Brooks said to Reuters, “We want our big date, our day at court.”

The first charges took over two months to be filed. Only after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation seized the case from the local police did they file charges within 36 hours.

Jackie Johnson, the ex-district attorney, was removed from office.

McMichael, the elder McMichael worked as an investigator for her. The charges were dropped by McMichael, who pleaded not guilty. She also stated that she had done nothing wrong.