William Bryan case

[moriah]

10. I have a feeling he'll get the opportunity for parole.

I suspect Greg McMichael may also be sentenced to life with the possibility of parole -- truly it will depend on what they bring up that wasn't allowed in front of the jury as aggravating factors, I think. He could also get life without parole if things come up that factor against him.

Unless the state is asking for the death penalty, and I do not believe the state has requested this be a death-penalty case, I believe Travis McMichael will get life without parole.

So I expect 30 years for GM and WRB, and LWOP for TM.

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Just my personal opinion here, but I think if I were Bryan's attorney I would have begged my client to plead to Georgia's "involuntary manslaughter" charge, even if the state demanded the plea be the full 10 years. It's what he could have been charged with if they went with just "reckless conduct" or "simple assault" as the predicate crimes -- essentially a "misdemeanor murder" statute, if a lesser crime than something like aggravated assault substantially contributed to a death.

But the penalty range on that charge is 1-10 years, and if he wouldn't accept the 10, I doubt the state would have pleaded him out.