Defendants In Arbery Killing Due In Court July 17

The three white men charged with the murder of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, July 17, according to court documents filed this week.

The hearing in Glynn County Superior Court will include the arraignment of Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan, as well as addressing several motions filed by Bryan's defense attorney.

One of those motions seeks bail for Bryan, who recorded the killing on his phone. The second argues that the appointment of Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes was illegal, while the third claims people representing Arbery's family have made "malicious, prejudicial and inflammatory statements to the national media" about Bryan. It seeks, among other things, to block the family and their representatives from disclosing evidence or facts in the case before a trial. 

Earlier: 3 Indicted On Murder Charges In Ahmaud Arbery Death

A Glynn County grand jury last month indicted each of the three men on nine counts, including malice murder and felony murder.

Arbery was jogging through the defendants' neighborhood February 23 when they began pursuing him, suspecting him of recent alleged break-ins, authorities have said. No evidence Arbery committed a crime has come to light, and his family maintains he was merely out for a run.

The McMichaels and Bryan followed and corralled Arbery in two pickup trucks, according to testimony at a pretrial hearing. Cell phone footage recorded by Bryan shows Travis McMichael confronting Arbery. In the video, an altercation follows and shots ring out before Arbery falls to the ground.

According to that testimony, Bryan told investigators that Travis McMichael referred to Arbery using a racial slur after the shooting.

Earlier: New Details Emerge As Arbery Murder Case Proceeds In Court

Two district attorneys recused themselves from the case because Gregory McMichael was formerly the chief investigator in the Brunswick District Attorney's office. Amid protests and accusations of corruption, Attorney General Chris Carr removed the third district attorney from the case as well and appointed Holmes.