miss cooper jones, thank you so much for joining us. i'm so sorry for your loss.ery day going through this. i wonder what you made of that defense attorney for one of the men on trial objecting to having high-profile members of the african-american community sit with your family during the trial. in his words to try to influence one of the jurors. but were you -- what do you think of that? i'm sorry, we're having audio problems. we'll try to fix that with you. mr. merritt, did this -- i mean, did this just come out of the blue here? >> it did come out of the blue. except it's coming from attorney for one of the defendants, william roddie bryan, who initially claimed he was just there to record. and he has been filing some bizarre motions. earlier on in the jury selection process he filed what he termed a bubba motion, meaning there were not enough bubbas, or white men in their 50s, uneducated, who more closely matched his defendant. so he's been doing bizarre things kind of the entire trial. >> i think we have audio back. miss cooper jones, did you -- i'm wonderin

>> happiness for my community, for the arbery family, for wanda cooper jones. i think it was a horrible thing to happen to their son. my family is friends of theirs and we want it to support them to make sure they know they have love but as far away as where i live in atlanta. >> did you ever have doubt? it took over two months before there was even an arrest in this case. >> initially i was sought out pby the uncle looking for some advice on the kill of his n nephew. we gave some advice but when it came out, it was horrific, it was awful, it was terrible. and right here where we're at now, now my community can heal again. miss jones and mr. arbery can probably rest a little better -- >> we're having some trouble there with martin's microphone. let's go back to sara sidner and ryan young. guys, if you're still with me and listening, i just want to ask you because i know you've both had an opportunity to speak to the attorneys in this case. you've been there all week for us reporting on this. do you think that the resounding guilty verdict -- there were only, i

when we first talked to ahmaud arbery's mother, wanda cooper-jones, 17 months ago, there was not a lot of attention on this case. but she was pushing investigators to dig deeper. she wanted the men arrested, tried, and convicted. today, a year and a half later, because of her pressure, her prayers were answered. >> count one, malice murder, we the jury find the defendant, travis mcmichael, guilty. >> wooo! >> reporter: an emergency reaction from ahmaud arbery's father on the first of the 23 guilty verdicts for the men who murdered his son. arbery's mother wanda cooper-jones wept in the back row as the verdict was read. >> to tell you the truth i never saw this day, back in 2020, i never thought this day would come. but god is good. >> reporter: athlete men stood silent as their fats were read. they could spend the rest of their lives in prison. their attorneys say they're disappointed but respect the jury's decision. >> we understand that they feel they have gotten justice today. we respect that. we honor that. >> reporter: travis mcmichael, the man who pulled the trigger, was found gu

we admire and commend the courage and steadfastness and strength of miss wanda cooper-jones, ahmad's mother. and mr. marcus aubrey, the father of ahmad. in seeking justice during this process, it has been a long road and we are so happy that we were able to be here at the end of this road. we would like to say thank you, and have courage and bravery of the story. to say what happened on february 23, 2020 two ahmad aubrey, the hunting and killing of ahmaud arbery was not only morally wrong but legally wrong. we are thankful for that. we want to thank specifically recognizing the people who have been involved in regards to the prosecution of this case. in particular, our team. our lead attorney, senior assistant district attorney linda dunakowski. assistant district attorney larissa oliveira. senior assistant district attorney paul camera low. -- deputy chief investigator people amount. karen watson, investigator darius mcclure. we have people who are at home who are helping us in regards to this case. jayda, who is here, cindy bard, sarah, a laramie floyd, our communications departmen

we admire and commend the courage and steadfastness and strength of miss wanda cooper-jones, ahmad's mother. and mr. marcus arbery sr., the father of ahmad. in seeking justice during this process. it has been a long road, and we are so happy that we were able to be here at this end of this road. we would like to say thank you, and we commend the current gender rate of this jury to say that what happened on february 23, 2020 to ahmad aubrey, the hunting and killing of ahmaud arbery, was not only morally wrong, but legally wrong. and we are thankful for that. we want to thank specifically and specifically recognize some people who have been involved in regards to the prosecution of this case. in particular, our team. our lead attorney, senior assistant district attorney linda dunakowski. [applause] assistant district attorney larissa oliveira. senior assistant district attorney paul camarillo. deputy chief investigator people -- chief lamont. investigator cameron watson, investigator darius mcclure. we also need to thank people from at home who have also been helping us with regards to

cooper-jones, we told the audience early on we were going to stay on the ahmaud arbery case all the wayese efforts move out of the media spotlight. and we'll follow the trial. we'll follow the verdict, and we'll cover the ramifications. that's our job, and i promise you we'll do that. i wish you strength during that pro es is. i'm sorry for your loss. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> all right. god bless. counselor, thank you. thank you for watching. don lemon tonight starts right now. d. lemon. >> a strong woman. can you imagine any mom going through that? your heart has to go out to. i can understand why she avoided the video for so long. but much like in the -

cooper jones, i know how much an emotional toll this trial has been on you and your family. on monday you were seen crying in the courtroom, which the judge swiftly denied. the idea that the defense tried to use you, the victim's mother -- it's all right he wanted to attack me and civil rights leaders, we're in the public. but you, the tears as an excuse to say it would sway the jury, i mean, it's a cheap shot at best. what was going through your mind when you heard about this? >> once again, the defense team are trying to find any and every excuse to use for a mistrial. they're using me crying as a way to have a mistrial. i think it's very rude and very disrespectful. >> attorney merritt, there's been a lot of racial justice stories in the week's news, like the exoneration of the two men wrongfully accused of killing malcolm x, who served decades behind bars, one of whom died in 2009. the d.a. found both the nypd and the fbi withheld valuable evidence that would have helped clear the men during the 1966 trial. another case developed this week was julius jones, whose death s

when we first talked to ahmaud arbery's mother, wanda cooper-jones, 17 months ago there was not a lot of attention on this case. but she was pushing investigators to dig deeper. she wanted the men arrested, tried and convicted. today, a year and a half later, because of her pressure her prayers were answered. >> count 1, malice murder. we the jury find the defendant, travis mcmichael, guilty. >> whoo! >> reporter: an emotional reaction from ahmaud arbery's father to the first of 23 guilty verdicts for the three men who murdered his son. arbery's mother, wanda cooper-jones, went in the back row as the verdict was read. >> to tell you the truth, i never saw this day back in 2020. i never thought this day would come. but god is good. >> reporter: the three men stood silent as their fates were read. they could spend the rest of their lives in prison. their attorneys say they're disappointed but respect the jury's decision. >> we understand that they feel they have gotten justice today. we respect that. we honor that. >> reporter: travis mcmichael, the man who pulled the trigger, was found

the murder convictions are not going to bring that person cooper jones also says the loss of her son leaves a huge hole in her family. not only does she lose a son but her children lost a sibling and our grandchildren lost an uncle. >> thank hope. it passes it. the first thanksgiving, they will happen. saying that we haleigh and justice for but again, i mean, heart still having that thanksgiving my babies. thank you. >> the man convicted burries death all face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. the judge will decide whether their sentences are served with without the possibility of parole. and amazing outpour of support for a man who was exonerated after being wrongfully convicted of murder serving 43 years in prison. a go fund me campaign for 62 year-old kevin strickland has raced just under 1 million dollars to help the newly free man start his new life more than 14,000 people have donated to the go fund me campaign. black friday is here. but you already knew that. and one big different shoppers may notice fewer discounts because of inflation and supply chain crisis experts sa

. >> reporter: it's been 622 days since wanda cooper jones last saw her son, ahmaud arbery, alive. in broad daylight while jogging in georgia in what's being called a modern-day lynching. >> all rise. >> reporter: today in the trial in the case surrounding the death of the 25-year-old is finally under way. do you feel like you're closer to justice now? >> i do feel like we're getting closer to justice for ahmaud day by day. >> reporter: travis mcmichael, father gregory mcmichael, and neighbor woody randall brian are standing together, charged with nine counts each including murder and aggravated assault. >> mr. arbery is under attack by all three of these men. all three trapped him like a rat between their two pickup trucks. >> reporter: the prosecution arguing the defendants chased down arbery for five minutes after one of them saw him running down the street in what he described at a very fast pace. >> he's assumed the worst and has absolutely no immediate knowledge of any crime whatsoever. all three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions. >> reporter: f

. >> ahmaud arbery was wanda cooper-jones' and marcus arbery sr.'s third child. they had an older son, marcus jr., and they also had a daughter, jasmine. >> ahmaud was the baby. i had ahmaud on mother's day. i knew ahmaud would be the last one, so i cherished ahmaud. >> and he was your mother's day gift. >> yes. we shared a very special bond. ahmaud was the kid that would come in and give me a kiss on the cheek or just come in and give me a hug around the neck. >> ain't a day pass by he ain't gonna tell you that he loved you. and he didn't just tell you that, he showed that. >> he was a funny guy, always wanting to keep people laughing. we'd all be joked out, and he going to be right in the center of it, making us laugh. >> right or wrong, if you his family, he going to stick with you, beside you. he was a great kid. >> when he knew i was having a bad day, he would come in and say something that he thought was funny to get me to smile. his goal was to make me happy, and he did that. you don't take any time for granted at this point. >> life was pretty tough for w

>> absolutely and i think the inspiration comes from wanda cooper-jones.out a blueprint for all of america from a people empowerment standpoint that a single mom with a fight in the determination could inspire a nation of this, that rarely happens in the south. >> lee, how would you characterize the role race played in this case, both inside and outside the courtroom? and what, if anything, have we learned about the state of race relations in america during this process? >> well, we know that ahmaud was targeted because he was a black runner in a community that thought that his presence there was inappropriate. and we saw during the case the prosecution made a decision not to center on race but center on the criminal nature and what i appreciate about the prosecution's strategy was that they said ahmaud arbery was a citizen in the united states running on a free road and that alone entitled him to life not by virtue of any protected class that he belongs to but we all enjoy these rights as citizens of the united states of america. >> miss cooper-jones, if

wanda cooper jones and marcus arbery were advocates for ahmad. and they really pushed this one when it first happened. and i think the message is that you have to let the criminal justice system work and in this case, yes, it did work. and to trust which they did, they trusted us and they trusted this team to bring justice for them and their family but to trust the system of the constitution and due process just to let it work. >> all right. linda, larissa and paul, thank you so much for joining us. happy thanksgiving, we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> happy thanksgivings. >> congrats on a job well done. thank you very much. >>> coming up, an update on holiday travel heading for pandemic era records across the u.s. millions are ignoring the crowded airports and sky high gas prices and worried about the coronavirus. every business is on a journey. and along the ride, you'll find many challenges. ♪ your dell technologies advisor can help you find the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. (vo) the more we do with our

>>cooper-jones what did it mean to you and why did you decide to want to watch the video in the courtroomour son? >> i often wanted the video simply because i didn't think i had the mental capacity to take it but i also wondered what happened to ahmaud the last minutes of his life. i avoided the video because i didn't think i can take it, but then the trial started, i knew it was time for me to try to get fa millmiliar with it because ie it over and over again. >> what -- when you did see it to the extent that you could process what you were seeing emotionally, what did it mean to you? >> it was very disturbing. it was very heartbreaking knowing ahmaud had, like i said, from the very beginning that he ran. i didn't realize he had ran so long, but the testimony from the last couple days, it's just reassuring that ahmaud actually ran for his life. >> and what do you hope the jury sees in that video? >> i'm hoping that the jury see what the world see, is that ahmaud hadn't committed a crime. he was simply out for a jog. he did stop by that unoccupied home but again, ahmaud didn't commit a cr

cooper jones, i thank you once again for being with us tonight.last several hours say it was just out of line, what the defense attorney said about your son. the quote, long, dirty toenails. for you, as a mother, it prompted you to get up and leave the courtroom. what was going through your head? >> thanks for having me, as well. um, it was very, very disturbing. i thought it was very, very rude to talk about his long, dirty toenails and to totally neglect that my son had a huge hole in his chest where he was shot with that shotgun. she chose not to -- to recognize that -- that that gunshot wound -- actual his long toenails. >> why did you get up and go? >> i was faafraid that i was -- just was afraid. i sat there the last two weeks and let them dehumanize my son who wasn't doing anything wrong the day that he chose to go for that afternoon jog. and after, they go as far as describing his toenails long and dirty. despite, like i said earlier, that my son had a huge hole in his chest where he was shot with that shotgun. very disrespectful. >> why d

happy thanksgiving. >> joining me now is wanda cooper-jones and her attorney lee merritt. thank you for being with us. we saw you in the courtroom yesterday, as the verdict was being read. take us inside there, that moment, what was it like for you to hear those words? >> i sat there patiently and heard the judge give the charges, and after the first charge, i heard guilty, i was overwhelmed with joy, because we finally got justice for ahmaud. the word guilty was the word that i wanted to hear 18 months ago. and we finally got that word of guilty. >> you talk about 18 months ago, and for me, the end of this trial made me reflect on the beginning of this all. the murder of your son, and then how long it took for this case to be taken seriously. what lesson have you learned from this? >> what i take away from this as mom is don't give up, continue fighting. earlier in the case it took us 74 days, 74 days to get an arrest. and i knew it was my job as mom to really find out what happened to ahmaud. i prayed, god answered my prayers. so i'm just thankful sitting here this morni

for more reaction, i'm joined by wanda cooper jones and her attorney. wanda and lee, thank you so much. our hearts continue to go out to you. you said that back this 2020, you never thought that this day would come. today your son's killers were brought to justice. what does that mean to you? >> it means a lot. and it means that my prayers has been answered. early back in the case back in 2020, 74 days without an arrest. and we finally was able to go through a lengthy trial and get justice for him. >> and so what went through your mind when you heard the judge say guilty for the very first time? i can't imagine the relief what you were feeling at that moment? >> again, we waited 74 days without an arrest. and then to hear that the accused murderers were actually found guilty, that was huge. we finally got the justice for ahmaud arbery oigthat he deserv. >> and kamala harris released a statement saying that these verdicts sent an important message, but she is taking issue with the defense team and some of the comments that they made, some of the horrendo

we heard that dramatic testimony and then saw ahmaud arbery's mom wanda cooper jones and came out here and talked to some of her supporters and talked about how she does believe that there will be a conviction in this case. take a listen. >> didn't threaten you in any way? >> no. >> didn't verbal threaten you? >> not veeshlly. >> didn't swear at you. >> didn't swear. >> didn't say anything? >> did not. >> didn't pull out a gun? >> no. >> turned and ran away. >> reporter: we did have the sound from wanda cooper jones talking about the reaction to the testimony there from travis mcmichael. yasmin, closing arguments set to begin tomorrow and the defendants face life in prison. >> thank you for that. >>> a civil rights probe in south lake. the texas town that's the epicenter of the phantom fight over critical race theory and now the subject of three investigations. the parents turn the sights on blocking mental health programs for children. we'll be right back. ht back. men. ...demands a lotion this pure. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragranc

cooper-jones, we told the audience early on we were going to stay on the ahmaud arbery case all the way through because too often, these efforts move out of the media spotlight. and we'll follow the trial. we'll follow the verdict, and we'll cover the ramifications. that's our job, and i promise you we'll do that. i wish you strength during that pro es is. i'm sorry for your loss. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> all right. god bless. counselor, thank you. thank you for watching. don lemon tonight starts right now. d. lemon. >> a strong woman. can you imagine any mom going through that? your heart has to go out to. i can understand why she avoided the video for so long. but much like in the -- and she said that. much like in the george floyd case, this is the center really of this case, of getting that on videotape. >> i mean if it hadn't been on videotape -- look, even what they had on videotape was twisted, to try to make this story something that it wasn't early on. >> remember, there wouldn't be an arrest. remember, you and i were trying to get this videotape on the air. you reme

. >> his mother, wanda cooper jones that she wanted to show her family the mural on a day when she isys people often forget heh family went 74 days before there were any arrests in this case. she told us there was a relief hearing the verdict that all three defendants were found guilty of murder. wanda cooper jones also said she believes her son was looking down on them when the decision came in, smiling then and smiling now, resting in peace. we also asked her what message she thinks the result of this trial sends to the world. >> i'm hoping that the verdict of guilty on all three defendants sends a message of accountability. i mean, you can't make better decisions and not be held accountable. >> what you think his sacrifice and life will do for other people maybe? >> i'm hoping that his sacrifice will -- it's going to implement change. he has already brought about the hate crime law in georgia, also the citizen's arrest law being repelled, so he has brought about change already. >> mother says she is ready for whatever is next in this case. likely sentencing in a few weeks and then

back her son cooper jones says the loss of her son leaves a huge hole in her family. not only did she lose a son, but her children lost a sibling and our grandchildren lost an uncle. >> i'm thankful because this is the first thanksgiving. they will happen. saying that we haleigh and justice for my but again, i mean, heart still having that businesses. thanks my babies. thank you. >> the men all face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. the judge will decide whether their sentences are served with or without the possibility of parole going to be taking a look now at our 4 zone forecast. a live look over downtown san francisco, beautiful clear night from our sutro tower cam clear and lawrence is a cold night and you've been talking about all that dry air. and that's why it's going to get so cold out there tonight. it's going to be chilly. >> around parts. the bay area cold enough likely see some patchy frost out there once again tonight. not as extensive was this morning, but you'll see some of that, especially in the north bay looking toward the golden gate bridge.

he respected wanda cooper-jones early, arbery's mother. he is in close contact with her.end of yours. good to have you back with us today. there's been so much focus on these comments from the defense attorney, on the judge's reaction, which has been very clear and strong, at each moment. so i'm just curious, could you tell us in what instance would you imagine that a judge would rule that there would be any reason to keep people out of a courtroom, specifically members of the clergy or family members? >> there wouldn't be a reason unless someone was causing some massive disturbance. georgia has an open-court rule. anybody can go to court and watch a trial. i mean anyone. it's absolutely ridiculous and it's just an attempt by mr. goff to inject racism, in my opinion, into this case. >> wanda cooper-jones, ahmaud arbery's mother, has been there every day. she is right now presumably sitting through this testimony from the medical examiner, which has been very difficult. the attorneys, the defense attorneys, seem to be upset she got upset in that courtroom at one moment. br

wanda cooper-jones going into court today said yes, it's true.n goff coming into court today and he was peppered with questions. take a listen. >> did you offer a plea deal? >> that's bull [ bleep ]. >> what are you referring to? >> i'm not getting into it with you. denied. thank you, sir. denied, denied, denied. i don't know what y'all are talking about. >> reporter: that is read into by a lot of people as implying that the defense might be very fearful now of their case after everybody has rested. we'll have to wait and see. closing arguments taking place on monday. could be up to six hours or more. today they're going over the charges that will be explained to the jury then. kate? >> all right. much more to come. martin, thank you. joining me is cnn's senior legal analyst elie honig and bernarda. what do you think of this, the family attorney for the arbery family says was an ask by one of the defendants for a plea deal, one that prosecutors declined? >> so this does happen sometimes. very rarely. it happened to me a handful of times while a j

cooper-jones? do you think this was all based on assumptions? and if so what kind of assumptions? >> mainly the assumption that a black man in the neighborhood, which ahmaud was, ahmaud regularly jogged that route, was responsible for the crime taking place there. now, there was not substantial crime taking place in the neighborhood. a few open cars were meddled around in. and they made the assumption that that was ahmaud. there's no evidence to support that. and as a result ahmaud was murdered. so yeah, i agree with her. >> yeah. lee, you're a criminal defense attorney. right? am i correct? i just want to double-check. >> i'm a civil rights attorney. i'm a plaintiff's attorney. >> but you know the courtroom. i want to ask you about the self-defense claim. travis mcmichael is claiming self-defense saying that ahmaud was attacking him and that he felt his life was in danger. what do you say to that? how do you respond to it? >> there is no way under american jurisprudence that you can claim self-defense if you are the initial aggressor. unfortunately, dealing with a few cases like

at first as we continue to lament ahmaud's death, i want to extend my prayers to wanda cooper jones and marcus arbery sr. because i know that this is a very difficult day. but it is also as she said a day where she knows that her son is resting in peace. i think about almost ten years ago, a similar scenario with trayvon martin. and this is the moment that we have been waiting for. but more importantly, i believe although it is a moment, it could perhaps be a turning point because an important precedent has been set by this verdict. so yesterday was a critical moment in our nation. because in many ways we witnessed a moment of the defeat of white supremacy and breaking of a long practice, that white people especially white males cannot be held accountable. so now we see that they can be held accountable for taking the life of a black man. and what i want to say is i don't know if this is true, but it is probably the first time in the history of this nation and especially in the deep south when an all-white jury practically with a white male sitting judge, with a white female prosecutor

i came to pray. >> reporter: after the day court, cooper-jones wanted to hear gregory mcmichael testifys optimistic about how the trial will end. >> i want to remind you it was 74 days we went without an arrest. things happen. and now we're here. and i'm very confident we will get a guilty verdict. >> reporter: and a reminder all three defendants in this case have been charged exactly the same. the most serious charges they face are malice murder and felony murder. and if convicted, they could all face life in prison. brianna. . >> all right. martin savidge live for us in brunswick, georgia. thank you. >>> joining me now is criminal defense attorney joey jackson and stacy richmond. always a risk to put the defendant on the stand. now that we have been through it and seen it all, how do you evaluate that decision? >> hindsight 2020. you evaluate and see how the case is going. i think the defense made no headway with respect to the actual people's case, right? in the event that you're a defense attorney, you want to challenge the case, raise reasonable doubt. they didn't do that. you have

cooper-jones.itting through the trial, to see her son attacked like that, and put on the demonstration of grace she showed in the interview was remarkable. >> one thing i noticed in the defense yesterday that we hadn't seen directly before, three separate defendants here who have three different sets of interests. the attorney for roddy bryan at the end, in his closing, seemed to be suggesting, you know, my dl client is a different matter. my client was just filming it. in fact, you wouldn't know there was a crime if my client wasn't there. if i'm in the jury, i might be thinking, is this one of the defense lawyers saying the other guys are guilty? >> well, it is. the problem, john, is that that should have been dcapitalized a the outset. what you do as a defense lawyer or a prosecutor is you have a theme or theory. i thought the theory at the end resonated. my client had no intent. he was there in the neighborhood. no one knows him. he saw something happening. didn't have a gun with him. he didn't

this is ahmaud arbery's mother wanda cooper-jones. >> i never thought this day would come, but god is good. i want to tell everybody, thank you. thank you for those who marched, those who prayed, most of all those who prayed. thank you, god. thank you. ahmaud will now rest in peace. amy: more on that verdict later in the broadcast with alicia garza. 27 people died drowning in the english channel last wednesday in what the international organization for migration said is the biggest loss of life to occur in the maritime crossing between the france and the u.k. since the u.n. agency started collecting data in 2014. three of the victims were children. vigils were held on both sides of the channel. >> we can say this happened because of smugglers but it is the responsibility of the deadly migration policies overall. we see this every day. what is happening is a policy of harassment and degrading, inhumane treatment of exiled persons. many were here in northern france. amy: the tragedy sparked tensions between france and britain, with the u.k. home secretary being shut out of a meeting amo

. >> cooper jones gather with family and friends in georgia today. she says while she is thankful for the verdict. the murder convictions, of course, will not bring her son back. cooper jones also says the loss of her son leaves a huge hole in their family. that only did she lose her son. but her children lost a sibling and her grandchildren lost an uncle. >> i'm thankful because this is the first thanksgiving. they will happen. saying that we haleigh and justice for my but again, i mean, heart still having that businesses. thanks my babies. thank you. >> the man convicted in operates death. all face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. the judge will decide whether their sentences are served with or without the possibility of parole. >> meantime, thousands of people in southern california spent their thanksgiving dinner in the dark. power's been shut off because of dangerous santa ana winds and fire risks. as shows us, it was a busy day for crews trying to clear fallen trees and to get the power restored. >> strong winds and dry conditions, not t

we heard from the head of the naacp, the attorney for wanda cooper jones, the family attorney, reactings. that what we heard was celebration of relief, you could call it, and as we talked about earlier, the difference between being relieved and rejoicing. but the need for this to catalyze next steps moving forward. from a legal perative here, can you talk about the way the rhetoric we heard from the defense teams might have played into what we're seeing today and the way that the need for those next steps has been highlighted. >> sure. i think most lawyers looking at the defense lawyers would have been rightly appalled. i am someone who believes firmly in the right to counsel, but some of the tropes that were advanced by the defense team were frankly, deeply concerning. i think what we saw here was the jury being forced to confront whether or not they would be complicit is in advancing this narrative. they said that not on their watch. they were not going to go down that road. and the question going forward is, what do we do with this? where do we build going forward? this is a case tha

wanda cooper jones, ahmaud's mother, and mr. marcus arbery sr., the father of ahmaud, in seeking justice during this process. it has been a long road and we are so happy that we're able to be here at this end of this road. we would like to also say thank you, and we commend the courage and bravery of this jury to say that what happened on february 23rd, 2020, to ahmaud arbery, the hunting and killing of ahmaud arbery, it was not only morally wrong, but legally wrong. and we are thankful for that. we want to thank and specifically recognize some people who have been involved with regard to the prosecution of this case. in particular our team. our lead attorney, senior assistant district attorney linda donakowsky. [ cheers and applause ] assistant district attorney larissa olivera. senior assistant district attorney paul camarillo. our chief investigator charles prescott. deputy chief investigator keith lamone. investigator cameron watson. investigator darius mcclure. we also need to thank people from at home who have also been he

. >>> ahead on "cbs mornings," we'll speak with arbery's mother, wanda cooper jones, for her reaction to the verdicts and what she hopes her son's legacy will be. >>> people from around the globe are coming together to help the victims in that christmas parade tragedy in wisconsin. the "milwaukee journal sentinel" reports more than 6,300 donations from a dozen countries have been made to a community fund to help the victims' families in waukesha. it comes after six people died after a driver in an suv plowed into a parade on sunday. nfl star and wisconsin native j.j. watt said he will pay for the victims' funeral costs. after sunday's tragic incident, he tweeted that he was grateful to those who rushed and helped the wounded. >>> so coming up, the sweetest thing -- how u2's the edge want to help musicians still trying to recover from the pandemic. >>> and oh, deer. an unexpected visitor at a tennessee school. how this curious buck got trapped inside a classroom. >>> this is the "cbs morning news." > this is the "cbs mornin news." don't settle for products that give you a sort-of white

lee merritt is the attorney that represents wanda cooper jones, ahmaud arbery's mother.he attorney that represents william "roddie" bryan jr. went to the prosecution and asked them for some kind of a plea deal. and as you said, that plea deal was rejected. i got to say, the timing of that sounds really strange. pretty much the testimony is done in this trial. today they're going to go over the charging documents. so why you would think at that time you might have some leverage with the prosecution to work out a kind of deal for your client is hard to understand. but kevin gauff at times has been difficult to understand. so we wait to get some kind of word from him directly. we want to know is this really what happened. but as far as we are told, by lee merritt, that offer was made, it was rejected. the reason that lee merritt would know and wanda cooper jones would know is the state would probably consult with the victim's family on any issue when it comes to possible kind of arrangement on a plea deal. so, again, it was rejected, it is an 11th hour kind of plea deal, an

. >> shortly after the verdict, i spoke to ahmaud arbery's mother, wanda cooper jones, about the longight for justice she's been on. >> right now, as i sit here, i'm thankful that i didn't stop. back in 2020, when the murder first happened, it was 74 days without any arrest. and it was 74 days there was no legal representation. very, very dark days. but in the midst of those dark days, i still had faith that god will see us through. >> what, if anything, if you could talk to the mcmichaels or their families, might you say to them on this night? >> you guys are wanting to yell possibly forever. you took a lot from my family and i. we took a loss that can't be replaced. but at the same time, you guys have three generations of loss. your father, the son, and the grandchildren. so not only did my family lose, their family lost as well. >> is it possible to pray for the mcmichaels, do you think? >> yes, it is possible. because again, like i said earlier, my family took a loss, their family took a loss as well. >> where do you go from here, where should we go as a nation from here? >> as i

arbery's mother wanda cooper jones says prosecutors told her their case is strong. >> they have lots and lots of evidence. they're really not satisfied with the jury that has been selected, but they're sure that the evidence will prevail. >> reporter: defense attorneys struck eleven of the twelve black jurors from the final pool which even raised eyebrows from the bring 150 *euding judge timothy walmsley. >> this court found there appears to be intentional discrimination in the panel. >> reporter: but the judge said he'll allow the current jury to proceed because, by state law, there were other valid reasons for why the jurors were dismissed. lee merritt is an attorney for the arbery family. >> there was a thumb put on the scales of justice by the defense to get a jury they thought would be more favorable for their clients. that's normal, but to use racial discrimination to do so, it shouldn't be allowed. >> reporter: investigators say arbery was out jogging in february of last year when he was chased down, shot and killed. the men said they thought arbery was a burglary suspect and

. >> reporter: wanda cooper jones sobbed in the courtroom today. >> look how far mr. arbery is. >> reporter: for the first time, she watched the video that showed her son, ahmaud arbery, being chased, shot, and killed. the now-infamous video was part of the prosecution's opening statements in the murder trial of travis and gregory mcmichael, and william "roddie" bryan. prosecutors say the mcmichaels assumed the worst when they spotted arbery walking out of an open construction site while jogging in the neighborhood. >> all three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions, and they made decisions in their driveways, based on those assumptions that took a young man's life. life. >> reporter: jurors also saw graphic body camera video from the day arbery was killed, recorded by a glynn county police officer. >> it's their duty and responsibility to each other to protect each other. >> reporter: defense attorneys explained their side, describing the mcmichaels as watching out for fellow residents after a series of break-in and burglaries in the neighb

. >> reporter: arbery's mother, wanda cooper jones, was asked about mcmichael crying in court.er response: "can you imagine the tears we have shed?" cross-examination of mcmichael will continue tomorrow. norah. >> o'donnell: omar villafranca, thank you. now, we want to turn now to a dramatic and historic day at the u.s. capitol. republican congressman paul gosar of arizona became only the 24th member in the history of the house of representatives to be censured. gosar earlier this month shocked his fellow lawmakers, posting a violent animated video targeting democrats. here's cbs' kris van cleave. >> will representative gosar present himself in the well? >> reporter: tonight, a historic rebuke on the house floor after controversial arizona congressman, republican paul gosar, posted an anime video depicting himself flying through the air and killing democrat alexandra ocasio-cortez and then heading for president biden wielding two swords. >> representative paul gosar of arizona, be censured. >> reporter: gosar is now the first member of congress to be simultaneously censured and

wanda cooper jones. father jumped up and cheered actually had to be admonished by the judge and asked to leave the courtroom after that outburst this entire time. the arbery family has been flanked by attorneys by pastors national civil rights leaders like the reverend al sharpton and jesse jackson. it is not clear when the defendants that make michaels and their neighbor. william roddie bryan will be sentenced, but we did see them leaving the court several hours ago in handcuffs. they were stone faced. they will also be facing civil rights charges hate crimes charges in a federal case that starts in february. back to you. >> all right. thank you for coming up here on kron, 4 news at 5, one bay area. food bank forking over time, every day to help keep our communities fed. then dry weather is pushing back the start of ski season. how one resort plans to attract c >> another shortage we could soon be facing here in california. need across the country is having enough energy to heat our homes this winter du