This is *actually* outrageous...McMichaels granted plea deal in federal case

[Sneezyone]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ahmaud-arbery-plea-deal-federal-trial_n_61f80e8ce4b067cbfa2056eb

In what universe are the assailants in a hate crimes trial given the ability to plead guilty DESPITE the request/feelings of the victim’s family?

EDIT: the judge rejected the deal pending more info.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Corraleno]

I don't understand the point of pursuing hate crime charges if the only "punishment" they can get for the additional convictions ends up, for all intents and purposes,  reducing the severity of the punishment for the murder convictions. So if you kill someone for racist reasons, you get a cushier deal than if you kill them for non-racist reasons???

These guys are currently looking at life in state prison, with no possibility of parole for the McMichaels, and even if Bryan gets out after 30 years, he'll be in his 80s by then. So what is the end game here for the DOJ? Can the judge tack additional years onto a life-without-parole sentence? And if he does that, would it actually mean anything — like if the state conviction is overturned on appeal, or a future governor pardons them, would having a federal sentence that follows the life sentence come into play? Otherwise it just seems like it would be better to drop the federal charges and let them rot in a Georgia state prison.

[Sneezyone]

50 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I don't understand the point of pursuing hate crime charges if the only "punishment" they can get for the additional convictions ends up, for all intents and purposes,  reducing the severity of the punishment for the murder convictions. So if you kill someone for racist reasons, you get a cushier deal than if you kill them for non-racist reasons???

These guys are currently looking at life in state prison, with no possibility of parole for the McMichaels, and even if Bryan gets out after 30 years, he'll be in his 80s by then. So what is the end game here for the DOJ? Can the judge tack additional years onto a life-without-parole sentence? And if he does that, would it actually mean anything — like if the state conviction is overturned on appeal, or a future governor pardons them, would having a federal sentence that follows the life sentence come into play? Otherwise it just seems like it would be better to drop the federal charges and let them rot in a Georgia state prison.

The family seems to want the motive confirmed, fine, but agreeing to let them serve their time in federal prison isn’t a deal I’d co-sign either.