A federal judge on Monday rejected a plea agreement reached by federal prosecutors and one of the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was shot and killed while jogging on south Georgia street.
Driving the news: Travis McMichael offered to plead guilty to violating Arbery's civil rights when he chased him through Brunswick's Satilla Shores neighborhood in 2020. But after hearing from Arbery's parents, who opposed the deal, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Wood said she doesn't have enough information to approve the agreement.
- Gregory McMichael, Travis' father, had also been expected to plead guilty as part of an agreement at a subsequent hearing on Monday.
The big picture: Attorneys for Arbery's family on Sunday released a statement saying they were "vehemently against" the proposed plea deals, reached ahead of the hate crimes trial that's scheduled for Feb. 7.
- Arbery's parents, Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Jones, reiterated their positions in the courtroom Monday.
- “It is not fair to take away the victory I prayed and I fought for," Cooper-Jones said. "It is not right and it is not just. It is wrong.”
Details: Travis and Gergory McMichael, who along with William "Roddie" Bryan were sentenced to life in prison for Arbery's murder, had previously indicated they would plead not guilty to the hate crimes charges....
- The three white men were each charged with one count of the hate crimes offense of interference with rights, which carries a maximum of life in prison.
- Federal prosecutors also charged all three with attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels also