Despite a judge rejecting their plea agreement in an unusual move, Gregory and Travis McMichael could still admit guilt to federal hate crime charges stemming from the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, according to legal experts.
Judge Lisa Godbey Wood refused a plea deal that would have sent Travis and Gregory McMichael to a federal prison instead of a state prison for up to 30 years.in an unusual move, Gregory and Travis McMichael could still admit guilt to federal hate crime charges stemming from the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, according to legal experts.
Under the now-defunct plea deal, the McMichaels were assured by federal prosecutors that they would spend the first 30 years of confinement in a federal penitentiary, a guarantee that was vehemently opposed by Arbery's mother and father during Monday's court hearing. Wood sided with the parents, saying she was"uncomfortable" with the agreement because it locked her into the three-decade sentence.
Both of the McMichaels have no criminal history, a factor judges generally weigh in deciding punishment. Bryan also used his cellphone to record Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery with a shotgun, video that became integral to their state murder convictions.Ahmaud Arbery, left, and his mother Wanda Cooper-Jones attend a graduation.
"On cases where you are specifically telling a judge this is what we’re agreeing to and you’re tying their hands, those are the cases where you most often see them rejected. So, that’s what was happening here," Weinstein said.
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