Ga. susps want Arbery’s criminal records in trial

Three white Georgia men accused of the shotgun slaying of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a judge to allow evidence of the Black victim’s criminal record and mental health issues at their October trial.

A lawyer for accused shooter Travis McMichael told a Glynn County court Wednesday that Arbery’s previous run-ins with law enforcement were relevant because they show a “pattern” of attempted burglaries. He also wants the jury to hear about nine other incidents involving the 25-year-old man, who was on probation when he was killed.

The defendants’ legal team also wants the court to admit Arbery’s mental health records, including a 2018 diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, a rare condition with symptoms like hallucinations, mania and depression, court records show.

McMichael, 35, his excop father Gregory, 61, and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51 — who have been in custody since their arrest last spring — were at the hearing in person for the first time; they’d joined other proceedings via video because of the coronavirus pandemic. The hearing was expected to last two days.

The trio is accused of chasing and ambushing Arbery before the younger McMichael fatally shot him at close range in a caught-on-tape killing outside Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, 2020.