BRUNSWICK, Ga. — On Tuesday, a prior district attorney defended herself against accusations of misconduct related to her handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case nearly five years ago.
Jackie Johnson, who served as the district attorney for Glynn County during the time of Arbery’s shooting, appeared before a jury to address a felony misconduct charge. She clarified that she recused herself from the investigation right away, as it involved a former employee whose son was responsible for the fatal shooting of Arbery. Johnson denied exerting any influence over George Barnhill, an external district attorney, who had suggested to law enforcement that no arrests should be made initially.
During the proceedings, defense attorney Brian Steel questioned Johnson about whether she had ever suggested to Barnhill to take a sympathetic view due to their personal connections. Johnson firmly responded with a “No,” denying any such discussions took place.
On February 23, 2020, Arbery was shot and killed after being pursued by Greg and Travis McMichael, who armed themselves under the mistaken belief that Arbery was a burglar. A neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, contributed to the chase and captured the incident on video as Travis McMichael shot Arbery at close range.
At the time, Greg McMichael was a former investigator for Johnson’s office and had retired just months earlier. After the shooting, he left a voicemail for Johnson requesting assistance. Johnson recounted that she called him back the next evening, after having learned from courthouse police officers that there had been a confrontation involving his son and a supposed burglar. She indicated that she expressed her hope for their well-being, but intentionally refrained from discussing any details of the case with him, emphasizing the office’s non-involvement.
It wasn’t until over two months after Arbery’s death, following the public release of the cellphone footage, that the case was taken over by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The McMichaels and Bryan were later charged with murder and convicted, along with facing federal hate crime charges.
Prosecutors from the office of Georgia’s Attorney General, Chris Carr, alleged that Johnson had undermined the integrity of the investigation by secretly facilitating Barnhill’s appointment to the case, knowing he had previously indicated that the shooting could be justified as self-defense. She faces a felony charge for violating her oath of office, which carries a potential prison sentence of one to five years.
Throughout her testimony, Johnson maintained her ignorance regarding Barnhill’s legal advice to police at the time he took on the case. The prosecution’s situation took a downturn when Senior Judge John R. Turner acquitted Johnson of a second charge that she obstructed law enforcement in their investigation, determining that there was “not one scintilla of evidence” to support that claim.
