Topline
A federal judge on Monday rejected a plea agreement on federal hate crime charges for a man convicted in the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery, according to multiple reports, following impassioned testimony from Arbery's family members who said they felt betrayed by the offer.

Key Facts
The father-and-son pair of Gregory and Travis McMichael—who were convicted of murder in Georgia state court last year—had reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that would have allowed them to spend the next 30 years in federal prison rather than state prison.
Arbery’s family members and their attorneys said they felt blindsided by the offer, which they say came without their consent.
Brunswick, Ga.-based federal Judge Lisa Wood rejected Travis McMichael’s plea agreement in a Monday afternoon hearing.
Gregory McMichael was due to plead guilty under an identical plea deal after his son’s hearing, but Wood has now given the two men until Friday to decide whether to move forward with their pleas.
In his court appearance Monday, Travis McMichael admitted he went after Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old Black man, because of his race.
Crucial Quote
“I told them very, very adamantly that I wanted them to go to state prison and do their time,” Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery’s mother, said Monday. “Then I got up this morning and found out they had accepted this ridiculous plea. It’s very disrespectful.”
Surprising Fact
Prosecutors haven’t struck a deal with William “Roddie” Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels who helped chase down and kill Arbery on February 23, 2020.
Key Background
Bryan and the McMichaels were convicted of murder in a November trial that drew widespread media attention, given the high-profile nature of the case. Arbery’s vigilante-style killing and the initially sluggish response by authorities drew national outrage in 2020, and galvanized Black Lives Matter protesters just before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, which led to the largest demonstrations seen in the U.S. in generations. Prosecutors at the trial successfully countered the defense’s argument the men acted in self-defense, saying that was impossible since they acted as armed aggressors, chasing down and cornering Arbery with pickup trucks in a Brunswick, Georgia, neighborhood before Travis McMichael confronted Arbery and shot him with a shotgun. The McMichaels were each sentenced earlier this month to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while Bryan will be eligible for parole in 30 years.
What To Watch For
A hate crime trial has been highly anticipated, since it would solely focus on race as a factor in Arbery’s death.
Further Reading
Judge rejects plea deal for man who killed Ahmaud Arbery (Associated Press)
Breaking: All Three Defendants Guilty In Arbery Killing (Forbes)
Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers Sentenced To Life In Prison (Forbes)