Sentencing for three men convicted in death of Ahmaud Arbery | USA TODAY

Judge Timothy Walmsley decides the fate of the three men convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, deciding if there will be possibility of parole in their life sentence.
RELATED: Verdict read in death of Ahmaud Arbery

A judge in coastal Georgia will decide Friday if the three men facing life in prison for the 2020 murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery last year could ever be released.

The minimum penalty required by law for father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan is a life sentence, but Judge Timothy Walmsley must determine if that sentence will come with or without the possibility of parole.

Travis McMichael, 35, was convicted of nine charges: malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Jurors found Gregory McMichael, 66, guilty of all of those charges except malice murder and Bryan, 52, guilty of six charges including three counts of felony murder.

» Subscribe to USA TODAY:
» Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY:
» USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.

#ArberyTrial #Ahmaud #LiveTrial

53 comments

    1. @The Day Ones Yes he was but to be so publicly viewed across the world it’s extremely intense.,. And he did exceptionally well with that level of critique at all stages… it is his job but imagine you doing your job whilst being viewed and critiqued by the world whilst doing it, of course adds a different level of pressure and dimension throughout so it’s ok for people to commend him, acknowledging the added pressure. To minimise it by saying he’s just doing his job really is quite tunnel visioned.

    2. I’ve seen so many court proceedings this year and I still believe Judge Walmsley is the best one yet.

    3. @henrietta richey Very well said. Cant imagine the stress of being under that spotlight. Let alone doing a phenomenal job regardless. Hats off to him.

  1. The “1 minute of silence”… the first time ever I see that happen in court.
    It truly showed great respect for the victim.
    More judges should think of doing this. Love it!

    1. @leslie sorady it’s so sad that your heart is so filled with hate that it has made you deaf and blind. The judge did that to put into context how long running for your life for 5 minutes is!🙄🤦🏾‍♀️

    2. The timed minute was to get a sense of the length of time he was being chased for, add another 4 on top as it went on for 5 minutes, it was not a minute silence.

    3. @Deonne Wesley Look at all the other countless court cases where people lost their lives…nothing. This was political theatre. The judge was very aware this case was high profile and he pandered to that. He also failed to point out that the former GA citizens arrest law was poorly worded, ambiguous, and difficult to interpret, yet condemned 2 people to life without parole based on this law.

  2. God rest Ahmaud Arbery soul. Unbelievable what happened to this young man, and what his family is going through now. No punishment will bring Mr. Arbery back, earth justice has been served to the animals that shot and executed an unarmed man and recorded it, thank God. God bless Arbery’s tough as nails mom, she stood firm and insisted on a Life without parole sentence.

  3. So what if they will be 80 years old in prison!.. ZERO SYMPATHY HERE. people need to pay for their crimes Pure and Simple..

  4. I would NOT want to see the lead prosecutor walking into court if I was a criminal…she is all that and a bag of chips 😂

  5. This was a court hearing that held so much integrity. I applaud the judge👏 and to the law upholders because of their stance on the constitution in their state and where it abides by US criminal law.

    1. “God Bless the Judge” He is a Pillar for the “Truth” and for “Justice”. American Civilization has taken a Turn for the Better!

  6. Don’t forget to jail the law enforcement officers and state officials who tried covering up the crime.

  7. This was indeed very sad.
    My heart goes out to the family of Ahmaud Arbery. I pray God grants them a peace that passes all understanding. May He comfort and heal their broken hearts.
    I’ve lost a sibling at a young age and my only child in 2011, so I’m familiar with this horrific pain.
    As for the McMichaels and William Bryan, may God convict your hearts, that you come to realize the crime you committed and the remorse you should all be feeling, and may He have mercy on your souls.

  8. Do you think the father will ever realize because of the racism he taught his son, his son is going to spend the rest of his entire life in jail ? When will people learn you cannot do wrong thing and expect things to turn out right.

    1. I feel sorry for the younger one little boy. Because of his stupid racist act his own child will have to suffer. We need to stop hate! And we need to stop letting the media and politicians get rich off our division.

    1. Yes indeed. I think of how so many judges who looks like him turn their backs on people who look like Ahmaud for centuries. But today was a great day to remember because this young man and his family and loved ones received real justice.

  9. The fact that he showed compassion to the victim by staying silent for a full minute to represent him running shows that justice was indeed served fairly!

  10. Very powerful speech given by the Judge prior to their verdicts. It is sad that this happened and they will not see their beloved son again but justice was definitely served.

  11. This was very profound and tragic. All of these lives lost for no other reason but that these people couldn’t recognize the value in someone else’s life.

  12. All of the victims’ statements touched me, but Jasmine Arbery’s words were so beautiful and heartbreaking. 💔

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.