By Rich McKay

(Reuters). A Georgia judge refused Friday’s motion for a mistrial in Ahmaud arbery murder cases. This was from a defense attorney who claimed Black pastors outside of the courthouse were a “woken left mob”, which influenced three white jurors.

On Thursday, more than 200 pastors gathered outside Glynn county courthouse in Brunswick (NYSE:), Georgia. The organizers claimed it was in response to Kevin Gough, the defense attorney who stated that he didn’t want more Black pastors in the courtroom.

Many nationally-recognized civil rights and Black clergy leaders, such as Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson (Rev.) and Martin Luther King III were among the many people who sat in the courtroom together with Arbery’s relatives at various points.

Gough’s client William “Roddie”, 52-year-old, as well as Greg McMichael (65-year-old ex-policeman) and Travis McMichael (35) are accused of the murder of the Black man, who was 25 years old. Prosecutors claim they shot and chased Arbery as he was taking a Sunday afternoon run on February 23, 2020.

All three of the men pleaded not guilty, claiming that they tried to arrest a citizen for a crime they believed was committed by a burglar. The jury, which included 11 White men and 1 Black man, could sentence them to life in prison.

Gough presented court photos of Thursday’s large gathering and claimed it had unfairly influenced or intimidated jurors. He said, “This trial has been infected with a woke-left mob.”

Gough stated, “This is how a 21st century public lynching appears like.” Gough stated that there is pressure on the jury.

Linda Dunikoski, the prosecution’s counter-prosecutor, stated that Gough is a “brilliant”, and “calculating”, attorney who made the courtroom observation about Black pastors in an attempt to provoke the crowd.

Closed arguments will begin on Monday.