• About Us
  • Paper Locations
  • Contact
Hispanic News || Shirley Ann Flower Shop || RS Deer Ranch
March 31, 2023
MEDIA KIT
African American News and Issues
63 °f
Houston
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Announcements
  • Afram TV
  • Events
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
African American News and Issues
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Announcements
  • Afram TV
  • Events
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
African American News and Issues
No Result
View All Result
  • AframNews Media Kit
  • About
  • Paper Locations
Home Featured

Defendants in Ahmaud Arbery case say slavery-era law enabled them to shoot

aframnews by aframnews
November 7, 2021
in Featured, National, News, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, Stacey M. Brown
0
Defendants in Ahmaud Arbery case say slavery-era law enabled them to shoot
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

By: Stacy M. Brown

You might also like

Women Who Rise

Are We Protesting for The Right Purpose

HISD and the TEA Takeover

In Georgia, defense attorneys are making the case that the three white men involved in killing Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, were justified by a Civil War-era law instituted to catch runaway slaves.

Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, plans to defend their actions by claiming they were making a citizens’ arrest that went awry only after Arbery resisted.

When the trio killed Arbery on February 23, 2020, Georgia law allowed almost anyone to arrest another citizen if “they had reasonable and probable grounds of suspicion” that a suspect had committed a felony.

The state overturned the statute after Arbery’s murder.

Lawmakers introduced and passed the original code in 1863 to capture slaves who had escaped from plantations in the South.

“They are going to use this law because it wasn’t repealed until after Ahmaud Arbery was killed by the McMichael family, and I am not sure we’re going to have the justice that we should,” said Shirley James, publisher of the Savannah Tribune in Georgia.

James said Georgia also employs the Stand-Your-Ground law that allows citizens to use deadly force when confronted with life-or-death situations.

“The thing that happens a lot, even with George Floyd and a lot of our African Americans who have been unjustly murdered, the victim becomes the criminal,” James remarked. “They are looking at Arbery’s life and he’s deceased and can’t defend himself.”

She added that very few people of color are among the 1,000 prospective jurors, and Glynn County, where the trial will occur, counts as a mostly white area.

“I don’t think in that county that you will find the kind of objectivity that you need,” James demurred. “When you think of the mindset of the things going on now with people so free to speak out in reference to their discriminatory attitudes, they have about us …”

Recent reports suggest that many U.S. states still have laws that allow for citizens to make arrests.

Chris Slobogin, a law professor at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University, told Reuters News Service that citizen’s arrest laws put dangerous powers in untrained hands.

“Things can get out of control quickly,” he said.

Roddy Bryan’s lawyer, Kevin Gough, told reporters earlier this month that the “Citizen’s arrest is a big part of our case, a big part.”

Ira Robbins, a law professor at American University in Washington, wrote in an academic paper that many states’ citizen’s arrest laws are broad.

In California, for example, someone can arrest an individual for a felony if the person has probable cause to believe it was committed.

“While recruiting citizens to aid in eradicating crime is a noble idea,” Robbins wrote, according to Reuters, “strict safeguards are needed to prevent the law being abused.”

New York state has the strictest law, holding residents liable for false arrest if no crime was committed, even if they had a reasonable belief, “leaving no room for mistakes,” Robbins continued.

When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp repealed the law, he said Arbery was “the victim of vigilante-style violence that has no place in Georgia” and that the statute was “ripe for abuse.”

The ACLU’s Georgia chapter said, “the old law was an example of systemic racism and empowered mobs that lynched Black people in more than 500 recorded cases in Georgia between 1882 and 1968.”

The trial of the McMichael family and Bryan is scheduled to begin on February 7, 2022.

Tags: “ripe for abuse”1000 prospective jurors1863500 recorded casesACLU’s Georgia chapterafrican-americansAhmaud Arberyallows citizens to use deadly forceAmerican UniversityArbery’s lifeBlack mancaliforniacapture slavescatch runaway slavesChris SloboginCitizen’s arrestcitizens to make arrestsCivil War-era lawcriminaldangerous powersdefend their actionsdefense attorneysdiscriminatory attitudesempowered mobseradicating crimeescaped from plantationsfelonyGeorge FloydgeorgiaGeorgia Gov. Brian KempGeorgia lawGlynn CountyGregory McMichaelholding residents liable for false arrestIra RobbinsjusticeKevin Goughkilled by the McMichael familykilling Ahmaud Arberylawmakerslife-or-death situationslynched Black peoplemaking a citizens’ arrestmany U.S. statesMcMichael familymostly white areaNew York stateNNPA Newswireno crime was committedno place in Georgianoble ideaold laworiginal codereasonable beliefrecruiting citizensReutersReuters News ServiceRoddy BryanSavannah TribuneShirley JamesStacy M. BrownStand-Your-Ground lawstates’ citizen’s arrest lawsstrict safeguardsstrictest lawsystemic racismTennessee’s Vanderbilt Universitythree White menTravis McMichaelunjustly murdereduntrained handsvery few people of colorvictimvictim of vigilante-style violenceWashingtonWilliam “Roddie” Bryan
Share30Tweet19
aframnews

aframnews

Recommended For You

Women Who Rise

by Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.
March 25, 2023
0
Women Who Rise

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing the organization and podcast, Women Who Rise, created by Teara Randall. Women Who Rise is a safe place for...

Read more

Are We Protesting for The Right Purpose

by aframnews
March 18, 2023
0
Are We Protesting for The Right Purpose

Houston, Tx – March 16, 2023. I have heard this loud protest about the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Taking over HISD. With a 2019-2020 enrollment of 209,309 students,...

Read more

HISD and the TEA Takeover

by aframnews
March 11, 2023
0
HISD and the TEA Takeover

Many are waiting to hear what will happen to the Houston Independent School District (HISD), as the Texas Education Agency (TEA) comes closer to taking over the district....

Read more

Mentorship is Priceless

by Crystal LaShan
March 3, 2023
0
Mentorship is Priceless

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” This quote reminds me of the importance of mentoring...

Read more

A House Divided

by aframnews
February 26, 2023
0
A House Divided

The Republican Party was created in 1854 and was in support of African American equality for the first two decades. Abraham Lincoln, who was known as the 16th...

Read more
Next Post
Democrats failure at federal level causes catastrophic losses in Virginia, elsewhere

Democrats failure at federal level causes catastrophic losses in Virginia, elsewhere

Latest Articles

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

March 28, 2023
Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

March 25, 2023
Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

March 25, 2023

NEED PAST ISSUES?

Search our archive of past issues Receive our Latest Updates
* indicates required
  • Local
  • National
  • Community
  • Education
  • Politics
  • COVID-19
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports

ARTICLES

  • Local
  • National
  • Community
  • Education
  • Politics
  • COVID-19
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports

CONNECT WITH US

  • Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

  • Hispanic News
  • Shirley Ann’s Flower Shop
African American News and Issues

African American News & Issues
6130 Wheatley St
Houston, TX 77091
(713) 692-1892

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2023. African American News & Issues. All rights reserved. Private Policy | Terms of Use |

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Announcements
  • Events
  • Afram TV
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023. African American News & Issues. All rights reserved. Private Policy | Terms of Use |

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?