A defense attorney in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial objected to Rev. Al Sharpton sitting with the family in the courtroom.
Three white men are on trial for pursuing and killing Arbery after he entered a vacant home on Feb. 23, 2020 in Brunswick, Georgia.
Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, and 52-year-old William “Roddie” Bryan are charged with murder and aggravate assault.
Bryan’s attorney objected to “The Right Reverend Al Sharpton” sitting with the family in the back of the courtroom.
“I have nothing personal against Mr. Sharpton,” said attorney Kevin Gough who objected to bringing “high-profile members of the African American community” into the courtroom to intimidate and influence the jury.
Gough said:
“To my knowledge, Rev. Al Sharpton has no church in Glynn County… The idea that we’re going to be serially bringing these people in to sit with the victim’s family one after another. Obviously, there’s only so many pastors they can have, if their pastor is Al Sharpton right now that’s fine, but that’s it. We don’t want any more black pastors in here.”
Gough said it would be equally unfair if “a bunch of folks came in here dressed like Colonel Sanders with white masks sitting in the back…”
The judge denied his request.
