Closing arguments are next in the hate crimes trial over Arbery's death

Closing arguments are next in the hate crimes trial over Arbery's death

Transcript¹

Closing arguments are expected to start Monday in the federal hate crimes trial of three white men, who were convicted in state court for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery nearly two years ago.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Closing arguments are happening today in the federal hate crimes trial of the three white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery. The 25-year-old Black man was jogging through a coastal² Georgia neighborhood two years ago when the men chased him down and killed him. They've been sentenced to life in prison on the state murder conviction but now face federal civil rights charges. NPR's Debbie Elliott joins us now. Debbie, remind us who the defendants⁴ are and what this federal trial is all about.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE⁵: Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan are charged with attempted kidnapping and using force to interfere⁶ with Ahmaud Arbery's right to use a public street. Federal prosecutors⁷ say the defendants targeted Arbery because he was Black. They chased him with pickup⁸ trucks until he was cornered, and then Travis McMichael shot him to death at close range with a pump-action shotgun.

Now, the facts of the murder are not in dispute. The question here is motive⁹, why these men went in pursuit of Ahmaud Arbery as he ran through their neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Ga. Prosecutors say it's because they assumed the only reason a Black man might be running down their street was to flee after committing a crime. It's an assumption prosecutors say they would not have made had a white man been out for a run.

MARTINEZ: Now, testimony¹⁰ ended Friday, Debbie. How did the government go about showing that the defendants were motivated by racism¹¹?

ELLIOTT: Pretty much using the men's own words to show that long before they killed Arbery, they held racist¹², defensive¹³ and demeaning views of Black people. And in the case of the McMichaels in particular, they supported violence against African Americans and vigilante justice. That evidence came from cellphone messages, social media posts, as well as conversations.

On Friday, a white woman who served under Travis McMichael in the Coast Guard testified, and she said he made racist and vulgar sexual comments to her after he learned that she had once dated a Black man. The prosecutors played jailhouse tape recordings¹⁴ in which Greg McMichael was heard on the telephone referring to Arbery's killing¹⁵ and saying no good deed goes unpunished. There was also evidence that the third defendant³, Roddie Bryan, had used racial slurs¹⁶ in objecting to his daughter dating an African American, and he made offensive comments about the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

MARTINEZ: How are the men defending themselves?

ELLIOTT: Well, none of the defendants testified. I think most of the defense¹⁷ will come in the closing arguments today. You know, no witnesses were called by lawyers for either Travis McMichael or Roddie Bryan. Greg McMichael's attorney only put on one witness - very brief testimony from one of their neighbors.

During opening statements, defense attorneys denounced the racist views of their clients. I expect them to do that again today. And then they argued that there's no evidence that these men chased Ahmaud Arbery because he was Black. They say they went after him because, quote, he was "the guy" that they'd seen on surveillance video wandering around a home under construction without permission at night on several occasions. But testimony emphasized that nothing was ever stolen from that construction site, and Arbery was never seen with a weapon or anything in his hands.

MARTINEZ: As you mentioned, closing arguments today. Could the jury begin deliberations as early as today?

ELLIOTT: Perhaps. Prosecutors and the three defense lawyers will each offer their closing arguments, which could take much of the day. Then the judge will charge the jury, explaining the law for this case. Getting a verdict - this case could have some symbolic¹⁸ meaning in Brunswick. You know, Wednesday marks two years since Arbery was murdered. There are memorial events planned, including a march and wreath-laying in the Satilla Shores neighborhood where he was killed.

MARTINEZ: That's NPR's Debbie Elliott. Debbie, thanks.

ELLIOTT: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

4 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

9 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

10 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

11 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

12 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

13 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

14 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 slurs   

含糊的发音( slur的名词复数 )； 玷污； 连奏线； 连唱线

参考例句：

• One should keep one's reputation free from all slurs. 人应该保持名誉不受责备。
• Racial slurs, racial jokes, all having to do with being Asian. 种族主义辱骂，种族笑话，都是跟亚裔有关的。

17 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

18 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。