The trial jury consisting of 11 White jurors and one Black juror will soon continue deliberating on the charges facing Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and their co-defendant William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., the three men accused of chasing and killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.
There are nine White women, two White men and one Black man serving on the trial jury, with two White women and one White man serving as jury alternates, according to CNN analysis of juror data.
The 12-member trial jury and three alternates were selected after a protracted jury selection process that lasted two and a half weeks and included summoning 1,000 prospective jurors from the South Georgia coastal community.
Georgia’s Glynn County is about 70% White and 27% Black according to information from the US Census Bureau.
The makeup of the jury was challenged by the state at the conclusion of the jury selection process. Lead prosecutor Linda Dunikoski claimed defense attorneys disproportionately struck qualified Black jurors and based some of their strikes on race.
The judge overseeing the case said, “This court has found that there appears to be intentional discrimination,” but ruled that the case could go forward with the selected jurors because the defense was able to provide valid reasons, beyond race, for why the other Black jurors were dismissed.