Attorneys are asking a U.S. appeals court to throw out the hate crime convictions of three White men who used pickup trucks to chase Ahmaud Arbery through the streets of a Georgia subdivision before one of them killed the running Black man with a shotgun.

A panel of judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta was scheduled to hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case that followed a national outcry over Arbery’s death. The men’s lawyers argue that evidence of past racist comments they made didn’t prove a racist intent to harm.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It’s unconstitutional to torture them.

      Better do separate holes so they don’t annoy each other.

      • Beefy-Tootz@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Correction, it’s only unconstitutional if it’s also really weird. The rule prevents punishments that are both cruel and unusual, not cruel or unusual

    • rtxn@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Disagree on the lawyers. Their job is to zealously represent whoever the client might be, and anything less than that risks a mistrial due to ineffective representation. Borrowing former prosecutor Emily D. Baker’s words (from a Depp v. Heard livestream), not making such a motion is almost considered legal malpractice.

      You wouldn’t want those three cunts to walk free because of a procedural mistake.

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Not the lawyers. Everyone deserves a defense. John Adams defended the Boston massacre soldiers, even though he would be hated for it, because he believed in the rule of law and the idea that everyone gets a defense or the system is fucked

      • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        8 months ago

        It’s kinda the UKs modus operati. Ship the problematic individuals in society away (criminals to Australia, puritans to the new England colonies).