The lawyer for one of those accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery says the presence of black shepherds alongside the victim’s family could be intimidating to the jury

In the state of Georgia, the trial against the three white men who chased and shot Ahmaud Arbery took an unexpected turn on Thursday when a defense attorney claimed that the presence in court of high-profile black pastors, sitting next to the Arbery’s family, could be “intimidating” to the jury, which is almost entirely white.

Kevin Gough: “Obviously, there is a limit to the number of pastors they can have. It’s okay for Pastor Al Sharpton to be there. But no more. We don’t want any more black pastors to come, like Jesse Jackson, or whoever it was that sat here earlier this week with the victim’s family, trying to sway the jury. “

The Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement that the attorney’s comments “underscore the disregard for the value of human life that was lost and the grief of a family in need of spiritual and community support.”

—