Yesterday I got hooked on the opening statements by the attorneys in the Aubery murder case. I think most are familiar with the case about 3 men (2 of them are father & son) who live in a neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. These men took it upon themselves to go after a young black man running through the neighborhood, suspecting him of stealing from a boat parked at a house under construction a few months earlier. They chased Mr. Aubery in their pick up truck, and got into a confrontation, and the son, Travis McMichael, shot and killed him in the middle of the street.
The trial started with long opening statements from the prosecution, and from two of the defense lawyers, and then the first witness was called. I rarely get a chance to watch our judicial system ‘at work’ so I found it fascinating – and also at times very slow. Brunswick is not used to a high profile case like this one, one that has huge racial overtones, addresses “stand your ground” and citizen’s arrest, and therefore has attracted a national audience. I was surprised with the faulty technical equipment, and how they had trouble playing video pieces – from house surveliance cameras and from a policeman’s bodycam. The courtroom is small and the defense has 3 attorneys (and teams), one for each of the men charged. Everyone is crammed in to the room and it was obvious yesterday that not all the kinks had been worked out ahead of time. Jurors and the subs were marched in and out of the courtroom many times. They needed to leave whenever there was a question about a legal issue, or when the judge and attorneys had concerns to talk about that could sway the jury.
I listened closely to the opening statements. From them I learned a lot more about the months leading up to the shooting. The scene was set well, and both sides offered some similar information. The case is really about WHY Travis McMichael shot.
So – nothing new here, but I’m against citizens acting like neighbor watchdogs and driving around with loaded guns. (Remember Trayvon Martin?) Even though there was concern about an unfinished home in the community and items had been stolen from the boat on the property, it got really out of hand. Listening yesterday I had questions pop in to my mind that I hope get answered…. like…
Were there other burglaries in the neighborhood during that time? Did any neighbor call the police and ask for more police presence there? Police cars can cruise neighborhoods when asked. What is the ethnic ‘mix’ of the community? Do retired police or retired military feel more empowered than other citizens? Both father & son McMichael served. And, do they get to be given different treatment by our judicial system? Was there a Neighborhood Watch program put into effect? Do the three men on trial have issues with other races? Perhaps they were written up while serving or working another job? I believe the jury can not be told that the McMichael pickup truck had a confederal flag bumper sticker on the back (which is crazy considering both men supposedly served ALL people of our country.) Could they see the sticker in the video played? Why was the jury (by the way, there is only one black person on it) allowed to go home, back into the Brunswick community, over the weekend? They were told not to talk to anyone about the case, or read anything. Is this realistic in such a close knit town?
On the bigger picture of this case, I wonder if citizens acting like self-professed guardians of the neighborhood, armed and on the hunt, will be scrutinized. Personally, I do not want my neighbors to take on that role, and truth be known, I don’t trust them to act properly in a heated moment. I know some brag of their guns – and just that kind of talk tells me they could be pretty irrational. I get NO solace knowing they are armed and loaded.
Well, you can see that I am hooked on this case and want to follow it through. I want to see justice for the innocent who walk, or run, through a neighborhood. Any neighborhood, anywhere in the United States. I’m tired of white men acting all high and mighty, and I certainly want to see true justice done to the three in this case. More will come out. Testimony has just started. I will be watching.
Marla’s Musings 