Feb 5, 2025 Story by: Editor
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A judge on Monday, February 3, acquitted former Georgia District Attorney Jackie Johnson of one of the two misconduct charges against her, ruling that prosecutors had failed to present any evidence that she obstructed a police investigation into the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Despite this, Johnson’s trial will continue, as she still faces a felony charge of violating her oath of office.
Shortly after prosecutors rested their case, the judge granted a directed verdict on the misdemeanor obstruction charge, a rare move that effectively dismissed the charge due to insufficient evidence.
“There is not one scintilla of evidence that I’ve heard that would authorize a verdict on that count,” Senior Judge John R. Turner stated in court.
Background on the Ahmaud Arbery Case
On February 23, 2020, father and son Greg and Travis McMichael armed themselves and pursued 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in their Georgia neighborhood, believing he was a burglary suspect. Their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, joined the chase and recorded video footage of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery with a shotgun at close range.
The men claimed they were acting in self-defense, but no arrests were made for over two months. It was only after the cellphone footage surfaced online and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over that authorities arrested the three men, who were later convicted of murder and federal hate crimes.
The Case Against Jackie Johnson
Since Johnson’s trial began a week ago, prosecutors have argued that she acted behind the scenes to shield Travis McMichael and his father, who was a retired investigator from her office, even after recusing herself from the case.
However, their case suffered a blow last week when Glynn County Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Oliver testified that she never spoke with Johnson about Arbery’s case. Oliver was one of two officers mentioned in the 2021 indictment that accused Johnson of obstruction for “directing that Travis McMichael should not be placed under arrest.”
Prosecutors concluded their case without calling the second officer named in the indictment, Stephan Lowrey, to testify.
Johnson’s defense team also requested a directed verdict on the charge that she violated her oath of office, a felony that carries a penalty of one to five years in prison.
Judge Turner declined to dismiss that charge immediately, stating that he would allow it to stand “for the moment” while requesting written legal arguments from both sides.
Johnson had recused herself from the case because of her past working relationship with Greg McMichael. However, prosecutors claim she abused her authority by recommending that the Georgia attorney general appoint George Barnhill, a neighboring district attorney, without revealing that Barnhill had already told police the shooting was justified.
Barnhill testified last Friday that his decision to advise police was made independently and without Johnson’s influence.
The jury has been ordered to return to court on Tuesday as the trial continues. Johnson was voted out of office in November 2020, a loss she largely attributed to backlash over her handling of Arbery’s case. A grand jury indicted her in September 2021. Source: AP News
