ATLANTA – State Representatives Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale), Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) and Sandra Scott (D-Rex) today issued statements regarding the jury selection process for the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s death.
“Jim Crow era jurors sit for the trial of Ahmaud Arbery,” said Rep. Scott. “Eleven white people and only one Black were chosen to serve as jurors. Will justice be served? For 72 days after Ahmaud’s death, the defendants were free skinning and grinning that they had killed an innocent Black man who was running through the neighborhood. They chased him and hunted him down as if he was an animal. In their own words to the 9-1-1 operator they said, ‘We got him trapped like a rat.’ Even in 2021, you would think that the prosecutor would want a fair and impartial jury. A jury that would hear all the evidence and make their decision based on the evidence and not the color of Ahmaud’s skin. We are watching every minute and every little detail presented to make sure this trial ends with justice for Ahmaud and his family. Georgia, let’s do the right thing. The world is watching.”
“After a summer of protests against the injustice of George Floyd’s death, a conviction for his killer and a historic presidential election, it is hard to believe that a black man still cannot get a jury of his peers,” said Rep. Burnough. “We still have a long way to go.”
“Under the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit to happiness,” said Rep. Davis. “No mother should fear their male child ending up dead while jogging because of racial hatred. As veterans, we served our country to protect the rights of everyone under the Constitution and that included Ahmaud Arbery’s right to run in his neighborhood. The jury needs to remember that Ahmaud Arbery had a right to be left alone.”
“Justice for Ahmaud will never be reduced to a simple chant,” said Rep. Schofield. “This injustice and murder of a 25 year-old Black man who went out for a run can only be resolved by convicting his killers. The trial and intentional racial imbalance in the jury selection continues to confirm the inequities in the judicial system. The value of his life was reduced to the question, ‘Do you think Black lives matter?’ This is not only offensive, but it calls to question if justice will really be served for a life abruptly taken. The clear message that should be of top priority for the judge and jury is that Black lives have, do and always will matter.”
Representative Rhonda Burnough represents the citizens of District 77, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Special Committee on Election Integrity and the Economic Development & Tourism, Governmental Affairs, Higher Education and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Natural Resources & Environment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation and Science and Technology committees.
Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves on the Health & Human Services, Interstate Cooperation, Information and Audits and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected to the House Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology and Special Rules committees.
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