ben crump, welcome back to democracy now!a moment, we going to talk about the murder case -- or than accorded of the county is -- more than a quarter of the county is black and there's only one juror. >> it is very disappointing, not only for ahmaud's mother and father, for everybody who has been following this case most of the fact that you seem to have a jury that has more of the perspective, more of the commonalities of the killers up ahmaud arbery then the perspective of ahmaud arbery, this young black man who literally was killed for jogging while black. it is troubling because the court, when they granted 24 prude three strikes from the beginning, that was troubling because they said they can systemically try to just strike black people 24 times. that is too many strik. everyone who has been looking at this case and saying not only from day one when the police came out and tried to give cover for the killers of ahmaud arbery for jogging whelack, it seems our criminal justice system gives them ver, too en they are being

ben crump says next week he plans to show up with 100 black pastors to pray with the family and ben crumpto see you. >> good to see you always, don. >> let's talk about this defense lawyer. he's now apologizing for his comments but you plan on bringing 100 black pastors to pray next week. what is the message you want to send here, ben? >> first of all, to apologize -- he's not backing them up because they were racist only because people are calling him out for them being racist and so that's why attorney merit and i feel we need to make sure the family of ahmaud arbery and any other victims who are trying to be marginalized by racism and discrimination know that the black pastors are always welcome to pray for these families in need and so we're going to be very careful not to give them any reason for a mistrial however, we won't do anything to bridge the first amendment rights of our clients especially when it comes to prayer. >> you know, we see -- look, race is a central role in this case. we see it in the defense lawyers s ignore ant comments, we see i in the makeup of the jury. while

both parents and one of their attorneys, ben crump, spoke b after the verdict and expressed relief and gratitude that this time, in this case, these white men would not be allowed to murder a black person with impunity. >> i never saw this day back in 2020. i never thought this day would come. but god is good. >> yes, he is. >> i just want to tell everybody thank you, thank you for those who marched, those who pray, most of all, the ones who prayed. >> yes, lord. >> thank you, god. thank you. >> i don't want to see no daddy watch their kid get shot down like that. so it's all our problem. so hey, let's keep fighting and making this a better place for all human beings. >> i tell you all, we -- we -- we, together, did this. we all together, black, white, activists, faith members, lawyers, prosecutors, we did this together! we said, america, we will make us better than what we saw in that video.me >> we did this together. the naacp released a statement today noting the generations of black people in this country, dating back to its founding, back to emancipation, back to the first citizen

i've got ben crump's statement here. quote, guilty, guilty, guilty. after two years of pain, suffering, and wondering, the arbery family has finally had some justice. katy, walking out of the courthouse right now is ahmaud arbery's mother. >> reverend al sharpton and ahmaud arbery's mother. we'll see -- there's benjamin crump as well. we'll see if they go to a microphone and tell us about how they're feeling. clearly they're feeling vindicated at the moment, lifting their arms up. but of course we would love to hear from his mother and see how she's doing in this moment. a happy moment for her but also sad, she's lost her son. >> absolutely. and these are the supporters that have been with the family since the beginning. we should remind our viewers, this was a crime that took place in february of 2020, before the pandemic. i believe we're going to hear shortly from ben crump. >> al sharpton is about to speak. let's listen. >> let us, let us, let us say first and foremost, we're going to start by thinking god. for shining on us. let us thank these law

we are honored to have with us the attorney general of black america, ben crump, the father of the late ahmaud arbery, marcus arbery, and pastor mark baker of greater works ministries in brunswick, georgia. let me go to you first, attorney crump. i want to make sure our audience understands this verdict is not the end of it. what comes next in terms of legal action? let's start there. >> absolutely, reverend al. i just have to thank you and the black pastors for coming to brunswick, georgia. your presence impacted the quest for justice for ahmaud arbery. and i'm sure marcus and wanda are so grateful. they can never thank you enough. we know they have a federal civil rights -- based on the department of justice. also, we have brought a civil action against the district attorney, jackie johnson, who conspired, we allege, to prevent ahmaud arbery from ever having his day in court, his family. we also have sued the homeowners association, reverend al, because we believe this was a group effort to get this young black man, who was presumed guilty just from exercising. had this been a white m

we see ben crump, i believe. they're right there in the front. let me just go back to ryan young and sara sidner for a second. i believe that they might be -- well, let's listen in because i think his mom might be about to make a statement or her legal team and supporters. so let's just listen in for one second. >> let us -- let us say first and foremost we're going to start by thanking god. >> yes! >> amen. >> for shining on us. let us thank these lawyers. let us thank the prosecutors. >> amen. >> let us thank the activists. >> yes. >> that you all called the mob that marched and stood up. let us thank all of the people that believed and let us more than anything thank the mother and father of ahmaud. they lost a son, but their son will go down in history as one that proved that if you hold on, that justice can come. this mother would tell me, reverend, we're going to win this when i had doubts. she kept praying. this father said we've got to get some justice for my son. and let the word go forth all over the world that a jury of 11 whites and o

ben crump.r victims from the festival. thanks for joining us. dozens of lawsuits have been filed in connection with the deadly incident and officials and organizers, they're pointing fingers right now. who in your view was responsible then for keeping those concertgoers safe? >> wolf, as i sit here with the family of the young child on life support fighting for his child, we are working diligently, our legal team, to get answers for everything that happened on that evening. there are multiple people on multiple levels that are responsible. this never should have happened, wolf blitzer. this was completely preventable. had the concert promotors, the organizers, the corporations who was putting on this festival would have made sure they had safety protocols in place, had crowd control protocols in place, and had medical assistance protocol. so we have sued 20 defendants. we have about 200 clients and that number is growing. >> the houston police chief, as you know, ben, says he sees no reason for

ben crump, thank you so much for being with us.d we're also keeping our eyes on deliberations in charlottesville, virginia, where a jury is deciding a civil case against the organizers of the unite the right rally back in 2017. the jury is weighing six claims, the most serious being conspiring to commit racially motivated violence. let's go to brian todd in charlottesville, virginia. brian, the jury had some questions for the judge on this second day of deliberations? >> they did, jim. just a short time ago, the jury was dismissed by judge norman moon. no verdict yet in this case. second full day of deliberations. now to that question you just mentioned, it was a key question. the jury posed to judge norman moon earlier today. they said, if we cannot come up with -- to a unanimous decision on counts one, two and three, do we have to be unanimous on counts four, five and six? those first three counts, jim, are very crucial. they are at the crux of the plaintiff's case. and that's the claim that these defendants, these white supremac

let's discuss with ben crump, the lead attorney for ahmaud arbery's father. s. on this first day of the trial, jurors saw the video of the shooting of ahmaud arbery and his mother decided to stay in the courtroom as well. let me play what she had to say about that choice. listen. >> i just started to remain there so we can get familiar with what happened to ahmaud for the last minutes of his life. i avoided the video for the last 18 months and i thought it was time to get familiar to what happened with ahmaud, in the last minutes of his life. i'm glad i was able to stay strong and stay in there. that's the first time i saw the video in the entirety. >> ahmaud's father, as you know, decided not to watch that video. how heavy a day was this for ahmaud arbery's family? >> it was extremely heavy, wolf. as attorney merritt and i talked, it is so hard when you watch the video and then when you watch the police show up on the scene, and even though ahmaud is down there on the ground with his fingers shot off, bullet holes in his body, the police officers are more con

when there were no video. >> ben crump trying to figure out if a president is set, where you have to video to hold someone accountable for killing a black person. just like it was for george floyd. the video of arbery's murder was pivotal in this case. no one was arrested until the video of aubry's murder was released, and circulated widely, which took more than two months after the killing. that video sparked nationwide protests and activism. it was a key piece of evidence in this shot. like george floyd, the video of ahmaud arbery's murder, sparked a national outrage. people protested throughout the summer of 2020 in the name of george floyd and ahmaud arbery. and the countless other black people who have been killed by white police and vigilantes. and attorney representing one of the defendants at the army murder child same acutely aware of some of the similarities between this case and the murder of george floyd. protesters showed up outside the courtroom in black pastors set with the arbery family inside the courtroom, the defense attorney tried seven times for a missed shot. so

ben crump is the country's leading civil rights attorney. he's had a way to so much grisly evidence of brutality. he was the, the, the attorney for george floyd's family. george lloyd died ultra police always a kneeled on his neck for now and a half minutes, but he always seemed to break down at the very idea that these men would walk free just looked into the distance and said, it would mean that we simply can't protect our children as black people, we can protect up that i mean nothing has changed since jim crow when there was over a segregation, especially here in the deep south and white people thought they could do whatever they want to. they could chase chase after black people and lynched and killed them and the state would protect them. so this time that does not happen that the system seems to work. but there are no illusions because we always have to remember that after i would operate died and the police arrived at the prosecutors took a look at the case, very accepted. these men's arguments that they had every rights to see a bla

now, qwez, you know him as ahmaud, he will now rest in peace. >> ben crump is the civil rights attorney and represents the family of ahmaud arbery and he joins me now. mr. crump, first i just want to ask how the family is doing, how the parents are doing in the wake of this verdict. >> well, chris, thank you for having me on this historic day. the parents are relieved. i think you heard that gut-wrenching sigh of leaf from marcus aubrey, ahmaud's father there when they announced the first guilty conviction for travis mcmichaels. and it's such a weight lifted off of them because not only have they witnessed just a horrific -- i mean just tragic killing of their child and lynching, as marcus arbery said, but they had to fight so long to get to this day. so they're relieved, they're prayerful and very thankful to everybody who came together for justice for ahmaud. >> the mother explicitly thanking those who marched. this really is one of those cases where you if you look at the timeline, this was likely going to just go away until the public attention essentially triggered the wheels of ju

ben crump? they ruled it a justifiable shooting.as, the difficulties that he had dealt with. and then, of course, the revelation of this video. >> as you can see from the video, with your own eyes, he held his hands up for 14 seconds. he never pointed the gun at them. why they would fabricate this narrative to the world and especially to these grieving, brokenhearted parents continues to seem to be a pattern with the use of excessive force by those who are supposed to protect us against people of color and then they try to justify the unjustifiable. >> devin, have you been given an explanation as to why they would blur the end of that video? >> i think it's very clear, because in pennsylvania, the video from a police incident is actually not subject to right to know. when the state police commented and actually issued a false statement that he pointed the weapon, it was with the understanding that the public would never see the video and when the district attorney also cleared the state police of wrongdoing, same thing, it was with

ben crump, appreciate you joining uses.>> thank you. >>> i will ask the advisory committee of the likely authorization of covid booster shots for all adults, everyone 18 or older here in the united states with a decision expected by friday. is the timing right? we'll be right back. kevin? kevin. oh nice. kevin, where are you? kevin?!?!? hey, what's going on? i'm right here! i was busy cashbacking for the holidays with chase freedom unlimited. i'm gonna cashback on a gingerbread house! oooh, it's got little people inside! and a snowglobe. oh, i wished i lived in there. you know i can't believe you lost another kevin. it's a holiday tradition! that it is! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours. >> man: what's my safelite story? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ this... is the planning effect. this

ben crump and a group of attorneys say they filed a lawsuit on behalf of 90 conce concertgoers among them, a grandmother who says she was trampled. >> never seen so many people on the ground, fighting for their life never know that you would buy a ticket, and it would be -- i fell to the ground if it wasn't for my brother, i probably wouldn't even be here today. >> we're hearing from travis scott's attorney he told "good morning america" that the rapper truly did not know what was going on. >> he's up on the stage, he has flash pods going on around him, and an ear monitor with music blasting through it, he can't hear or see anything. >> the attorney said the rapper only fully understood what happened the next morning. >> the judge in the case involving kyle rittenhouse >> your raising the risk of conviction although you are, you're avoiding the possibility that the jury will end up compromising on the more serious crime. >> he's charged with gunning down two men and wounding a third with an ar-15 during racial justice protests in wisconsin last summer. he insists he was there to prot

arsonists and looters. >> the eyes of the nation are really on both of these trials and you heard ben crumpbetween the two of them. what have you seen from watching them? >> we'll see cases that will give us national attention on an issue that has been growing and growing in terms of national prominence, coming after the large protests last summer and no matter this trial or something else, we know the changing demographics of this country pushed race and the questions of racism particularly about policing and equity onto the forefront so these are going to be cases that will have intense interest just like the killer of george floyd, just like the level of intensity that we have seen historically in things like the o.j. simpson trial and others. i expect that when this comes out, we will have intense washing, there might be protest and rounds, this could become the norm in terms of its intense focus on the verdict here but that's because folks are so emotionally invested. what it seems like is a case that showed the disparities within the legal system that we know to be true, but that is g

ben crump is the arbery family attorney, also represented george floyd's family. we are told there was an impromptu prayer circle this morning. civil rights activist, the reverend al sharpton was present outside the court house. it's a moment we are taking in. i as far as the timing, compared to the rittenhouse trial in the deliberations come of this happening after two days of deliberations for the jurors. >> the jurors taken very seriously. there was a lot to take in obviously. i don't look at the length. i know some folks, some defense attorneys will say that if you're at the precipice of a holiday, it's dangerous for the defense. frankly i think the jurors took their time. they went through the charges. it was a thoughtful, meaningful process. they came back with two questions for the judge. they wanted the 911 tape. on the phone with 911 when he yelled out. travis had shot mr. arbery. the second was the videotape. meaningful, deliberative process taking place for the jurors. even though some may criticize the fact that it was not as long as the rittenhouse de

joining us, aubrey family attorney ben crump, who promises with me not one, not two, but possibly 100 black pastors will join us come this thursday at the court to support the aubrey family will, in fact, not just that trial, but also the first week of kyle rittenhouse trial in wisconsin. we'll tell you why there is more on trial in that case than the defendant. but first, joining me now congressman hakeem jeffreys, democrat of new york and chair of the house democratic caucus. congressman jeffreys, welcome back to politics nation. before we talk infrastructure, though, and other politics, i have to ask you two questions briefly. first though, what are your thoughts as you follow the developments in the january 6th investigation steve bannon indicted, mark meadows a no show for his deposition. and a federal appeals court temporarily blocking the house select committee question for trump white house records, your thoughts an all of this congressman? >> well, great to be with you, reverend al. at the end of the day in america, no one is above the law, not the president, not the presiden

. >> reporter: pastors al sharpton and jesse jacks and martin luther king iii and attorneys ben crump and lee merit joining the arbery family for a prayer vigil organized by the reverend al sharpton. ben crump speaking to wolf blitzer last night about what this is like for the family. >> if this was your child, how would you be able to keep composure after you see these people lynch him and then you see them offer this self-defense. >> reporter: earlier kevin goff attorney for william roddy bryan jr. filed a motion to keep the reverends out of the courtroom. the judge once again denying the motion. and later on, goff objecting to this question from the state. >> do you believe that someone stealing is deserving of death penalty -- >> objection. >> reporter: goff calling for a mistrial. it was denied. the judge admonished the prosecutor and instructed the jury to disregard the question. by the end of the day, the defense resting their case. >> with that understanding, we rest. >> reporter: and after that, wanda cooper jones, ahmaud arbery mother came out and went on camera and thanks t

this is a group of survivors represented by ben crump.eople and the individuals said and described that event as 45 minutes of torture saying that they were packed like sardines, that they couldn't breathe at sp points and they looked around and it looked like a war zone. take a listen. >> we were like sardines in a can and the feeling was like imagine someone coming up behind you and bear hugging you as hard as they can. and it is just bodies. i'll never forget the look of terror on people's faces. >> i was caught in the madness and the mayhem until about 2:45 in the morning not able to return to my children, no cell phone service or uber home, no way to contact anyone. there was no taxi service, so it was literally like i was trapped. it was the most traumatizing experience. >> reporter: now one of the attorneys said that they have evidence from logs that the promotors security and the medical services firm that was hired had knowledge that something had gone wrong. now we don't know exactly what those details are, but that gives you a

attorney ben crump who gained national attention for representing families of taylor and martin says his firm is representing 200 victims. >>> spears father jamie had managed her finances and most of her personal affairs since 2009. he was suspended in september after accused of abusive behavior. today lawyers are expected to press the judge to end the conservatorship. >>> a live look at the big board on this friday afternoon to see how we are rounding out the week. the dow is up about 158. >>> world's largest health company is breaking up bandaids and pharmaceuticals. johnson & johnson plans to split into two companies separating over the counter products and pharmaceutical business. it is unclear what the second company will be named but johnson & johnson will stick to prescription drugs and medical devices. >>> americans are quitting jobs at a record pace. labor department says nearly 4.5 million people quit their jobs in september. at the same time businesses continue to post jobs at near record numbers. >>> new, california could become the first state in the nation to rank heat

killed wright potter is charged with first and second degree manslaughter high profile attorney ben crump is representing wright's family. opening statements begin next week >>> the new york attorney general has released video from the investigation into former new york governor andrew cuomo the transcripts are also raising questions about the role that his brother cnn anchor chris cuomo played behind the scenes from nbc new york jonathan dean has the details. >> do you swear this testimony will be the truth and nothing but the truth? >> yes, i do >> former foernl attorney general seemed sour. he was seemingly at times uncooperative. >> how do you want to define girlfriend how do you want to define date >> how do you define date? >> it doesn't matter how i define date. how do you define date it's your question >> he denied up theing, harassing, any of his accusers >> that never happened >> in addition to his video testimony, the tomorrow released video of six accusers, all who alleged wrongdoing by cuomo or a toxic work environment >> i remember going straight to my bus, definitely trying

. >> leah, when i was speaking to attorney ben crump earlier today, he said, jim crow isn't dead yetn it. today's verdict, was it a watershed moment, do you think? >> this is huge. but it's huge for a number of different reasons. it's huge because while it doesn't bring justice, real justice would be ahmaud arbery still alive, it does bring a sense of accountability. it's a watershed moment because we have a jury in the south that is predominantly white, all but one black juror, presided over by a white male judge, with a set of white prosecutors and white defense attorneys. essentially convicting this group of white men. and i think we should be pointing to the signals, perhaps not just a watershed event, but the beginnings of something transformative. that this is the end in georgia at least, of these vigilante citizen arrest laws. >> terry, you covered the rittenhouse case. the trials were different but had similarities. there was a legal process and a jury verdict in both cases. what do these two different verdicts say about our criminal justice system, do you think? >> i think i

also today, prominent attorney ben crump to announce more lawsuits are now being filed over the disasterantime, another major music festival set to get underway tonight in las vegas. this one, travis scott was initially supposed to headline but pulled out after last week's tragedy the day in vegas festival is now instead being headlined by rapper and singer post malone about 50,000 people are expected to attend security is a top concern organizers for this event say the law enforcement and concert personnel will be watching the crowds all weekend long just to make sure that no one is hurt. >> walgreens store in the heart of san francisco's castro district has been forced to close the health department says they had to close the store over quote, rodent infestation and that could not immediately be corrected. that it will remain closed until further notice. we spoke with some customers about this announcement. >> i mean, it's incredible inconvenient. it's the only drug store that we have in this neighborhood. so you know, what does that mean? you know, this is where i get my prescriptions

attorney ben crump announcing in a press conference that he is now representing more than 100 victimsrom the concert. so during the press conference, while travis scott was the main organizer of the event, show producer live nation should also be held responsible for the chaos that claimed the lives of nine people last week. so far, the company has not commented on the lawsuit. we'll be right back. >>> thanks for sticking around. sex and the city fans, the new teaser trailer for the all-new hbo max series just dropped. >> and just like that -- a new chapter begins. >> the new era for the queens of new york. that series will focus on the lives of carrie, miranda and charlotte as they navigate the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s. notably missing, actress kim cattrall. she's famously played samantha jones. but other fan favorites will also appear, including chris noth who played mr. bigg as well as, of course, actor willie garson who play stanford. garson passed away earlier this year at the age of 57. looks like it will be a lot of fun. kari -- another carrie p.

earlier today famed personal injury attorney ben crump announced that more lawsuits related to the deadly incident have been filed. this morning. >> we are now son, the foul and. >> overnight the more lawsuits in this matter. >> we will make sure. >> that they get justice because this should have never, ever happened. >> meanwhile, scott's attorney is speaking out publicly for the first time. here's what ed mcpherson had to say about the investigation this morning on good morning america. >> obviously was a systemic breakdown that we really need to get to the bottom of before we start pointing fingers at anyone. he's up there trying to perform. he does not have any ability to know what's going on down below certainly on a mass level and he has flashed thoughts going off around him and he has monitor that that has music blasting through it in his own voice. he can't hear anything. he can't see anything. >> that person was asked why travis is set went on for 40 minutes after a mass casualty event had already been declared and for sun claims. scott's team was never informed and that police o

show he becomes the youngest fatality his parents have hired personal injury attorneys, including ben crump and others the counsel previously filed a lawsuit alleging concert organizers failed at crowd control during the festival organized by travis scott. according to a statement by crump and his colleagues, blunt was placed in a medically-induced coma in an attempt to save his life after he suffered brain, kidney, and liver trauma they also expressed condolences to his family. reading in part, ezra's death is absolutely heartbreaking we are committed to seeking answers and justice for the blunt family but tonight, we stand in solidarity with the family, in grief and in prayer. travis scott's attorney said that he didn't know there was a mass-casualty event. and in a statement friday, we ce to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that, both, the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve. >>> in kenosha, authorities are bracing for a possible verdict in the kyle rittenhouse trial. in just a few hours, the jury will hear

. >> reporter: dishon isaac is one of more than 200 fans represented by ben crump, suing travis scottters. they're all still reliving that horrifying night. >> i just remember bodies everywhere. there was a girl at one point who was holding my hand. i didn't know this girl whatsoever. i held her hand as long as i could. >> reporter: uniqua smith, a mother of teen twins, attended the festival by herself. >> i remember being crushed from every side by human bodies, all around me. >> reporter: and says a woman behind her began having a seizure. >> the woman hits the ground, and her feet are next to my feet. the only thing that i can think of is if i trip over this woman's feet, we're going to create a pileup. >> reporter: reyna iraheta says there were warning signs hours be t staed. >> the whole time, i just kept looking around. i was like, this doesn't feel good. something's going on. >> reporter: an attorney representing more than 150 people released what he says are internal houston fire department logs stating security had lost control of the crowd early in the morning... >> y'all ar

attorney ben crump celebrating with ahmad's parents. his mother saying her son will now rest in peace. lawmakers across the political spectrum says justice has been done and the jury system worked. abc's steve so sosunsami leads off in brunswick, georgia. >>> i understand we have a verdict. >> reporter: people around the world were tuning in to this courthouse in south georgia, watching the moment live. >> count one, malice murder. we the jury find the defendant, travis mcmichael, guilty. >> reporter: and with those words, the concerns many had about the nearly all-white jury went away. >> count two, felony murder. we the jury find the defendant, greg mcmichael, guilty. count three, felony murder. we the jury find the defendant, william r. bryan, guilty. >> reporter: after a little more than 11 hours in a quiet room, jurors came out and convicted the three men who murdered ahmaud arbery in feburary of last year. a killing that prosecutors say would have never happened if the 25-year-old were white. inside the courtroom, the faces of two

now, ben crump also made a statement that is jacob blake's attorney. he said that the rittenhouse case has pulled kirk curtain of profound cracks in the justice system. >> again, that was kelsey currents teen reporting for us tonight and happening in oakland right now. the demonstration just kicked off to condemn the acquittal of kyle rittenhouse several organizations are gathering to demand the justice department step in and prosecute him the group is meeting at 18th street near telegraph and broadway in oakland. this all started just a few minutes ago at the top of the hour or so expect delays if you're near the downtown oakland area. so far we have not heard if there will be demonstrations in other bay area cities. but the open organizers are calling on cities across the country to act in solidarity. >> thanksgiving is less than a week away. a lot of people are starting to travel and it was a busy day at san jose's airport. we're roughly 400,000 passengers are expected over the 11 days around thanksgiving. those are levels not seen since before the

but actually what was also interesting was we were listening to ben crump, who is clearly one of the ways to forward civil rights attorneys now and in the us . he's seen at all. george floyd earlier this year, but he got really, really emotional when he was asked to consider that these, these 3 men might be acquitted before an attorney. i'm a black man, and i have black children. and i said, my guy, if america can come down this, then all parents who have children are karla. we can't protect whatever the outcome had. fremont also face federal hate crimes. and in the past that has been very difficult to make stick. but in this case, there is a sense that there may be more evidence because it seems that one of the defendants did use racial slurs in the aftermath of killing of an abra. she average hands it with all the lakers for us from outside that courthouse in georgia. thank you. she him was staying in the united states and the man accused of driving his vehicle into a christmas parade. and the u. s. if you walk ashore, has now appeared in court as the death toll or is the 6 and 8 y

joining me now is lead attorney for marcus arbery, ahmaud arbery's father, benjamin crump. benanks for joining us on this. as always, we appreciate it. i want to start by reading a part of your statement with regards to jury selection, and you write this. "a jury should reflect the community. brunswick is 55% black so it's outrageous that black jurors were intentionally included in a cynical effort to help cold-blooded killers escape justice." i don't think you got to go to law school to know this part of jury selection. juries are usually made up of a selection of your peers, right? if you've got 55% of the community that is black, at least half the jury should be black. in the derek chauvin seating, half of the jury there were black. what is happening here? >> well, i think it's clear, yasmin, that this is not a jury of ahmaud arbery's peers. and when you think about the fact that brunswick, the city that is the county seat, is 55% african-american, the largest county -- the largest city in the county, and the fact that the county itself is almost 30%, it is outrageous that a

one of those watching the testimony yesterday was attorney ben crump. he represents the father of ahmaud arbery. here's what he had to say about what he heard. >> if this was your child, how would you be able to keep composure after you see these people lynch him and then you see them offer this self-defense? and people are actually taking this as if it is credible. and in the moments later, they actually killed their son and they're talking about self-defense? it is just asinine intelligence. >> the judge has just taken the bench. we know the three defendants are also inside of the courtroom, gregory mcmichael and his son travis mcmichael and william "roddie" bryan, the man who took the cell phone video. outside the courtroom today, we're expecting to have a prayer vigil of black pastors that felt a calling as a result of defense attorney kevin gauff who said we don't need any more black pastors here. there is going to be a vigil of sorts. we expect a number of high profile religious leaders and then there is going to be a march as well on this communi

let's discuss with ben crump, the lead attorney for ahmaud arbery's father.at to see you again. thanks so much for making time for us. we appreciate it. how concerned are you that the racial makeup of this jury will actually impact the verdict in this trial? what are your thoughts? >> well, jim, we are very concerned ahmad's mother and father are very concerned as well as everybody who you talk to in brunswick. this does not represent a jury of ahmaud arbery's peers. we are very afraid that they won't understand his life experiences, his background, his culture. we are concerned that they may identify more with the perspective of his killers. and so the family is very concerned, as are we all. >> and are you satisfied with what you heard from prosecutors in their opening argument? >> well, i think the video is such a clear and convincing piece of evidence that the prosecutors have something that most people never have when they go into trial, especially in a situation like this where race is such a huge dynamic. it is the elephant in the room despite anybody

. >> reporter: attorney ben crump is representing the family. he released a statement says we are hearing horrific accounts of the terror and helplessness people experienced. we urge others to contact us and share their stories at astroworldclaimshelp.com. at least 36 lawsuits are planned against the festival organizers which could lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, this as we learn the houston police chief met with travis scott before the concert, the chief saying, quote, i met with travis scott and head of security for a few moments last friday prior to the main event. i expressed my concerns regarding the public safety. the meeting was brief and respectful and a chance for me to share my public safety concerns as chief of police. and later, the lawyer of 21-year-old axle acosta, one of eight people who died at the certificate friday joins us to discuss the tragedy in the 5:00 a.m. hour. todd: just horrible. jackie, thanks. carley: today, the tomb of the unknown soldier will open to tourists for the first time in nearly 100 ye

as we have the -- as we link together with the mother and father of ahmaud arbery and attorneys ben crumppastors. he's going to see many from all over the country, and from georgia, and from right there in that area on thursday. but i want to close by bringing up something very positive. billionaire robert f. smith has announced that he will give thousands of shares of stock to help black and latin-x kids to become shareholders. this initiative is designed to get every kid in america investing and on the path towards financial freedom. the program was kicked off this month by gifting five shares of stock, equivalent to nearly 15,000 total shares to each of the 2,900 students, educators, and staff members at the eagle academies for young men, a network of public all boy schools serving young men of color in newark and new jersey and new york city. robert york, many of you remember when he paid off the debt at morehouse college for a semester, and i mentioned before how he picked up the phone in the middle of the pandemic and said, reverend al, wherever you've got to move families and do wh

after the verdict, ben crump had this to say. >> this is not a celebration.spirit of ahmaud defeated the lynch mob. the spirit of ahmaud defeated the lynch mob. the spirit of ahmaud defeated the lynch mob. >> the spirit of ahmaud defeated the lynch mob. the case was a steep uphill battle after arbery's death in 2020 where no charges or arrests were made tos law enforcement. it wasn't until three months later that the three men were finally arrested. the prosecution had to cycle through three local districts attorneys before linda, a lawyer from atlanta, several hundred miles away was summoned to take charge of the case. arbery's death was one of several that sparked a wave of protests in the summer of 2020 although a guilty verdict and accountability has been had, justice has not been served. a well functioning justice system shouldn't ensure someone is held accountable for another person's unlawful death. no verdict can change the fact there was an empty seat at the thanksgiving table this week. i'm joined by k.c hoffler. chair of the rainbow/push coalition.

fame's personal inch injury attorney ben crump announced that more lawsuits related to the incident happened. >> we are now son, the foul and. overnight the more lawsuits in this matter. >> we will make sure. >> that they get justice because this should ha e never, ever happened. >> meanwhile, scott's attorney is speaking out publicly for the first time when asked why travis is set his show went on for 40 minutes after a mass casualty event had already been declared the lawyer claims scott's team was never informed since last friday. more than a 110 lawsuits have been filed. >> just ahead. there's no place like home for the holidays. but disneyland might be a close second. how the theme park is celebrating the season. that's ahead. and after the best regular season in franchise history. the giants have rewarded manager gabe kepler with an extension. year because of the pandemic. the holiday celebrations are back at disneyland resort. erin myers has a preview of all the holiday attractions from main street to buena vista street. >> hi, guys. i have to tell you, it's so beautiful. you walk dow

ben crump for ahmaud arbery said the reaction is ridiculous. >> they killed their son and yet they're talking about self-defense. i mean, it is just asinine and an insult to our intelligence. >> reporter: all three defendants have pleaded not guilty. and the defense rested on thursday, but one of the things that happened outside of court thursday that caught everyone's attention is the fact they had a large protest, a lot of pastors from around the country. definitely listen to kevin goff as he called and said, he didn't want any more pastors here. more showed up. there was a march in the streets. and we could see people actually having their voices heard about this case. reporting in brunswick, georgia, ryan young, cnn. >>> brunswick and wisconsin, the kyle rittenhouse trial began a fourth day of deliberations in the coming hours. the 80-ye18-year-old is charged shooting two demonstrators and wounding another during police brutality last year. the jury has been deliberated about 23 hours or so. before being dismissed, the judge raised concerns on thursday. our sarah sidner explains.

ben crump, thank you. >> thank you. >>> and coming up, fresh off a sweeping acquittal by a jury in kenosha, wisconsin, kyle rittenhouse made a trip down to mar-a-lago. what he and former president trump discussed. >>> and it was one of the longest wrongful imprisonments in u.s. history. the man who spent 43 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit will join us live. >>> plus -- ♪ i don't want to miss a thing ♪ >> nasa's armageddon-like mission to throw an asteroid off of its path. ♪ ♪ there are beautiful ideas that remain in the dark. but with our new multi-cloud experience, you have the flexibility you need to unveil them to the world. ♪ what does the future of strength look like? it's dynamic weight that adjusts for you in real-time for a more efficient workout. and you can only experience it... (sigh) on tonal. ♪ ♪ ♪ grandma, how wide are two reindeer? twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine... ♪ ♪ we've been waiting all year to come together... it worked! have a happy and safe holiday season from lexus. ♪ baby got back by sir mix-a-lot ♪ unlimited cashback match... only from dis

now, i want to bring in ben crump, attorney for ahmaud arbery's family, and marcus arbery, ahmaud's father. gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to speak with me tonight. the entire nation was watching this. the world really as you well know, not only what happened to your son, sir, but also this verdict. you know, i'm wondering from your perspective, sir, what does it feel like tonight to know that your son's killers have been found guilty? >> feel real good. it's just -- it won't bring ahmaud back, but we do know those guys held accountable for the lynching they done to him. that's what my family, we are grateful for. >> there was a moment when the very first of the verdicts was read for travis mcmichael, and you really exclaimed in the courtroom, you shouted, and what was that? i want to play for people what that was like because we were all waiting and watching with you, and i think a semblance of the same emotion. let's play that for a moment. >> we the jury find the defendant travis mcmichael guilty. >> woo. >> i'm going to ask that whoever just made an outburst be removed from t

. >>> well, civil rights attorney ben crump represents ahmaud arbery's father. he said the defendant's claims of self-defense are ridiculous. take a listen. >> this is a man who chased an unarmed black man and lynched him for jogging while black for two miles practically, when you add up all the distance that ahmaud arbery ran for his life. and it's so odd that he would say, well, i was thinking about my 5-year-old son. if he was worried about his safety and his son's safety, instead of trying to take the law into their own hands, why didn't he simply call 911? why depth he let the police come and do their job? or was it because they had pre-judged this black man as something that he wasn't? why is it that trayvon martin, unarmed and ahmaud arbery unarmed are looked at as criminals and thugs, not only by their killers, but also by the system, and then kyle rittenhouse, who actually had an assault weapon and shot three people, killing two of them, is looked at as a kid and given the benefit of the doubt and the benefit and the presumption of innocence when these