Former Prosecutor Charged with Misconduct Over Interference with Arbery Killing Case
How was Ahmaud Arbery killed?
Arbery was a frequent runner and his route often included the Satilla Shores subdivision where he was killed in coastal Glynn County, less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from his home. When Arbery ran past the McMichaels’ property on September 23, 2020, the father and son grabbed guns and gave chase. Bryan joined them in his own truck and was recording cellphone video when the McMichaels stopped in the road ahead of Arbery, who tried to run around them. The video showed Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at point-blank range as they grappled over his shotgun. Police found Arbery was unarmed and carried no stolen property, but they let the men go home. The incident report quoted Greg McMichael saying they suspected Arbery had been stealing from a neighboring home under construction and that his son fired his gun in self-defense.
Two months later, Bryan’s video leaked online, triggering outrage as Arbery’s death became part of a broader outcry over racial injustice that followed the 2020 police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police. The McMichaels were quickly arrested, as was Bryan two weeks later.
Who is Jackie Johnson and why was she charged?
At the time Arbery was killed, Johnson had served for a decade as district attorney for southeast Georgia’s Brunswick Judicial Circuit. Greg McMichael worked in her office as an investigator before retiring in 2019. Because of that connection, Johnson has said she immediately recused her office from handling the case. A neighboring district attorney, George Barnhill, became the first of three outside prosecutors appointed to take over. He soon concluded the McMichaels were legally attempting to detain Arbery and that the shooting was justified.
What crimes do prosecutors say Johnson committed?
Johnson is charged with violating her oath of office, a felony punishable by one to five years in prison, by using her position to show “favor and affection” to Greg McMichael. The indictment also charges her with a misdemeanor – hindering police investigating the shooting – by “directing that Travis McMichael should not be placed under arrest.” Johnson told The Associated Press in 2020 that no one in her office told police not to make arrests. Her lead defense attorney, Brian Steel, said during a December pretrial hearing that Johnson was focused on seeking an unrelated high-profile indictment and “didn’t know what was going on with Ahmaud Arbery’s case.” Prosecutors haven’t disclosed much of their trial evidence, but said in court records that 16 calls were made between cellphone numbers for Greg McMichael and Johnson in the weeks following the shooting.
How will a jury be picked?
Jury duty notices were mailed to 500 county residents, which is more than normal, to facilitate selecting an impartial jury, Glynn County Superior Court Clerk Rebecca Walden said. Potential jurors reporting to the courthouse Tuesday morning will be questioned about what they have read or heard about the case. Walden said she suspects it could take a week or more to arrive at a final jury of 12 members plus alternates.
Why did it take so long for Johnson to stand trial?
Johnson’s case has taken three years and four months to go to trial. Presiding will be Senior Judge John R. Turner, who told the AP in October that the long wait was unavoidable because Steel, Johnson’s lead attorney, spent nearly two years in an Atlanta courtroom defending Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug in a prolonged racketeering and gang trial. Five days after the rapper agreed to a plea deal in October 31, Turner ordered Johnson to make her first court appearance and scheduled her January trial.
Conclusion
The trial of Jackie Johnson, the former prosecutor who was charged with misconduct over her interference with the Arbery killing case, is set to begin. The case has been a long and complex one, with many twists and turns along the way. Johnson is facing charges of violating her oath of office and hindering police investigating the shooting. The trial is expected to be a closely watched event, with many people following the developments closely.
FAQs
* What is the case about?
The case is about Jackie Johnson, the former prosecutor who was charged with misconduct over her interference with the Arbery killing case.
* Who is Ahmaud Arbery?
Ahmaud Arbery is the 25-year-old man who was killed in the Satilla Shores subdivision in coastal Glynn County, Georgia.
* What happened to Ahmaud Arbery?
Arbery was chased by three men, including Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, who used guns and trucks to try to corral him. He was shot and killed by Travis McMichael.
* Why was Jackie Johnson charged?
Johnson was charged with violating her oath of office and hindering police investigating the shooting. She is accused of showing favor to Gregory McMichael and directing that his son, Travis McMichael, should not be placed under arrest.
* How long has the case taken to go to trial?
The case has taken three years and four months to go to trial.
