The trial jury consisted of 11 white jury members and one black jury member. will continue the discussion soon On charges against Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and his co-defendant William “Roddy” Bryan Jr., three men were charged with stalking and murdering 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.
According to a CNN analysis of jury data, nine white women, two white men and one black man are serving on the trial jury, with two white women and one white man serving as jury substitutes.
The 12-member trial jury and three options were selected after a lengthy jury selection process that lasted two and a half weeks and involved 1,000 prospective jurors from the South Georgia coastal community.
Georgia’s Glynn County is approximately 70% white and 27% black, according to information from the U.S. Census Bureau.
jury makeup was challenged by the state At the conclusion of the jury selection process. Chief prosecutor Linda Dunnikowski claimed that defense attorneys disproportionately hit qualified black jurors and based some of their attacks on race.
The judge overseeing the case said, “This court has found that there appears to be intentional discrimination,” but ruled that the case could proceed with the selected jurors because the defense was able to provide valid reason, beyond race. Why, the black jury for the second was dismissed.