The McMichaels' attorneys said the duo didn't commit a crime when they chased Arbery through a suburban neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Georgia, after suspecting him of stealing from a construction site.

"There is absolutely nothing in the indictment that identifies how this is a federal hate crime and it ignores without apology that Georgia law allows a citizen to detain a person who was committing burglaries until police arrive," attorneys Bob Rubin and Jason Sheffield told NPR earlier this year.

While the incidents caused national outrage and inspired many advocates to protest, the defendants' lawyers said, "The Justice Department bought the false narrative that the media and state prosecutors have promulgated."

Greg McMichael

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