JACKIE JOHNSON

A judge has postponed a court hearing this week for a former Georgia prosecutor charged with meddling in the police investigation of the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

The city of Brunswick is focusing on how to move forward and address racial inequalities in the community following the federal sentencing of the three men responsible in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

A crowd of dozens chanted on a sweltering street corner Tuesday as Ahmaud Arbery’s hometown unveiled new street signs honoring the young Black man who was fatally shot after being chased by three white men in a nearby neighborhood — a crime local officials vowed to never forget.

Ahmaud Arbery is being honored by his hometown after stiff sentences for hate crimes against the white men who chased and killed him.

Georgia prosecutors say the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery was followed by 16 phone calls between the local district attorney and a former employee later convicted of murder in the shooting.

Former church leader Ken Adkins, who was convicted at a trial in 2017 of child molestation and sentenced to 35 years in prison, plus life on probation, is demanding a Georgia court give him a new trial on his child molestation charges.

Attorneys for a former Georgia prosecutor charged with misconduct in the investigation of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing say she never tried to discourage police from making arrests in the shooting of the 25-year-old Black man.

Jackie Johnson was indicted in September. She’s charged with violating her oath as a public officer and obstructing police.

The state of Florida has officially returned $878,000 it had withheld from eight local schools districts for implementing mask mandates with no parental opt-out earlier in the school year.

One day after former Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson turned herself in at the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, pastors and community leaders are calling for a formal investigation into Johnson's conduct in another case she handled.

Jackie Johnson, who was district attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit for 10 years, turned herself in at the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office early Wednesday morning.

On Friday, Arbery’s mother and an attorney for the family said the indictment of former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson on two criminal charges shows the justice system is doing its job.

During her 10 years in office, District Attorney Jackie Johnson was in charge of several high-profile cases which included some other controversial ones.

Attorney General Chris Carr on Thursday announced the indictment of former District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who was strongly criticized over the way she handled the Ahmaud Arbery case.

The former Brunswick prosecutor who has come under fire for her office's treatment of the Ahmaud Arbery case is reportedly the subject of a grand jury investigation.

Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins says there was insufficient evidence to try Roger Lee Owens after a witness's story changed and a knife police initially said Owens dropped was later found to have belonged to one of the victims.

Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan each made first court appearances last month from the Glynn County Jail. BRUNSWICK, Ga. – One year after Ahmaud Arbery’s death, his mother filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging there was a conspiracy to protect those responsible for killing her son. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry and within 36 hours arrested the McMichaels -- a father and son. “If not for the video of Ahmaud’s killing being released, the Glynn County Police Department, Rash, Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, Bryan, Johnson, and Barnhill would have successfully conspired to deprive Ahmaud of his constitutional rights,” the suit said. Jason Sheffield, the attorney for Travis McMichael, responded with a statement noting the one-year mark since Arbery’s death and respectful of Cooper desire to get justice for her son.

Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan each made first court appearances last month from the Glynn County Jail. BRUNSWICK, Ga. – One year after Ahmaud Arbery’s death, his mother filed a federal lawsuit alleging there was a conspiracy to protect those responsible for killing her son. were part of a “deliberate effort to cover up Ahmaud’s murder.”Arbery’s shooting death was not reported beyond the local media for months. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation and within 36 hours arrested the McMichaels -- a father and son. “If not for the video of Ahmaud’s killing being released, the Glynn County Police Department, Rash, Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, Bryan, Johnson, and Barnhill would have successfully conspired to deprive Ahmaud of his constitutional rights,” the suit said.

Incumbent Republican District Attorney Jackie Johnson was defeated by Independent Keith Higgins in the race for Brunswick Judicial Circuit. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. Gregory McMichael had been a longtime investigator for Johnson’s office. Johnson recused herself but handed the case off to a second district attorney. Barnhill was eventually removed over his own conflict of interest -- his son works for Johnson and had prosecuted an earlier case against Arbery.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Activists are demanding Georgia’s governor remove two embattled Southeast Georgia district attorneys in the wake of the handling of the Ahmaud Arbery investigation. Brian Kemp to remove Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson and Waycross District Attorney George Barnhill. The Brunswick News reported that the Glynn County Supervisor of Elections said the board will not appeal the decision. Arbery’s killingThe controversy over the district attorneys caught fire after the shooting death of Arbery, who was killed Feb. 23 while jogging in a Glynn County neighborhood. Greg McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was a burglar and that Arbery attacked his son before being shot.

Now Independent candidate Keith Higgins has qualified for the ballot to run against Johnson. Higgins told The Brunswick News that more than 6,500 signatures have been verified on his petition. Gregory McMichael had been a longtime investigator for Johnson’s office. Barnhill was eventually removed over his own conflict of interest -- his son works for Johnson and had prosecuted an earlier case against Arbery. Come May 8, I couldn’t answer the phone fast enough.”CAMPAIGN WEBSITES: Keith Higgins | Jackie Johnson

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. Georgia voters will soon have a say on abolishing the scandal-plagued Glynn County Police Department thats been talked about for months. Brian Kemp has vetoed a bill that allows another bill to move forward to put the referendum on the November ballot. The bill that was vetoed -- Senate Bill 504 -- would create a nonbinding advisory referendum on whether to abolish the department and hand its law enforcement responsibilities back to the elected county sheriff in unincorporated parts of the coastal Georgia county. If approved, the binding referendum in Senate Bill 509 would automatically abolish the Glynn County Police Department and transfer the functions and assets of the department to the Sheriff of Glynn County. Because the presence of two similar ballot questions could lead to voter confusion, I veto Senate Bill 504.According to the bill, the stronger, binding referendum will be put before voters on Election Day.

A Georgia lawmaker is calling for the removal of an embattled district attorney whose office has been accused of fumbling the investigation into the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Brian Kemp, he expressed strong support for the removal of Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson. He and his son, Travis, were arrested last month after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case. The Glynn County community is experiencing a high degree of pain and grief as a result of Ahmaud Arberys tragic death in February 2020, Jones memo stated. Baugh said she wants to see changes within the DAs office now and backs the recommendation Jones made to Kemp.

Brunswick Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson has defended her offices involvement. She handed the case to Waycross Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill. Ahmauds death has caused our community to introspectively analyze and evaluate our area judiciary leadership, specifically Jackie Johnson, the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney. By this letter, I am expressing my strong support for the removal of District Attorney Jackie Johnson from her position as the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney. From 1988 2010, Keith served admirably and honorably as an Assistant District Attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office.

ATLANTA A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. They were taken into custody less than two days after the case was handed over to GBI. The elder McMichael worked as an investigator for Johnson, the Brunswick Circuit District Attorney, before retiring a year ago. Because of that, Johnson stepped away from the case, asking Carr to appoint Waycross Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill to replace her.

In this May 17, 2020, photo, a recently painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is on display in Brunswick, Ga., where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)ATLANTA – A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. The elder McMichael worked for her as an investigator before retiring a year ago, which required the office to step away from the case.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – She’s accused of stopping police from making an arrest in the Ahmaud Arbery shooting when it first happened but Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson said that’s a lie. Speaking publicly about the case for the first time last week, Johnson also told a Southeast Georgia radio station that she’s the victim of retaliation. Gregory McMichael once worked for Johnson as an investigator, and that’s why Johnson says she knew she couldn’t get involved. “I did not talk to Glynn County police that day. Back in March, she said, the Glynn County police chief and three former officers were all arrested in a separate case, accused in a narcotics unit cover-up.

The Atlanta branch of the NAACP is calling for an investigation into a history of inequality in Glynn County following the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery. The greatest injustice in this case was not only the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery, but the response by the legal apparatus of South Georgia. They responded as if his life didnt matter, said Arbery family attorney Lee Merritt. Ahmaud Arbery has been in the media today, they continue to release new images of Ahmaud Arbery to criminalize Arbery. Whether you realize it or not, yall have put a target on his back.On Tuesday, Arbery family attorneys called for Bryans arrest.

Feb. 27: State Attorney General Chris Carr appoints Barnhill to handle the case after local District Attorney Jackie Johnson recused herself. April 13: The attorney general appoints Tom Durden, another district attorney from the region, to take over the case. May 10: Georgia attorney general asks the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the handling of the case. May 11: Georgia attorney general asks Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes to take over the case, making her the third outside prosecutor appointed to the case. May 12: Georgia attorney general asks the GBI to investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct by Waycross DA George Barnhill and Brunswick DA Jackie Johnson.

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. – From Atlanta to Brunswick, organizers of the Just Georgia Coalition say they were in Glynn County on Saturday to “fight the good fight.”Hundreds rallied outside the Glynn County Courthouse for about two hours, protesting the handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case. Johnson recused herself and her office because Gregory McMichael is a retired investigator who had worked in her office. McMichael and his son, Travis, were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Arbery. Barnhill had the case for about a month before he stepped aside under pressure because his son works for Johnson as an assistant prosecutor. Also spearheading Saturday’s rally -- the Georgia NAACP, New Georgia Project, ACLU Georgia and dozens of other organizations.

The U.S. Department of Justice has another request to investigate the Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office. Other controversial cases in Glynn County are now coming back under the microscope. I-TEAM: Arbery case not the 1st time Glynn County law enforcement hesitated to arrest one of their ownCaroline Small, Katie Kettles-Sasser and Johnny Edward Hall Jr. all died in shootings involving one Glynn County police officer. The 35-year-old mother was unarmed and pinned in when she was shot through her windshield by officers with the Glynn County Police Department. Cory Sasser (Glynn County Sheriff's Office)The Police Department fired Sasser on May 24, 2018, following an internal investigation.

A growing number of elected officials, including 68 members of Congress, are calling for independent investigations into Glynn County police and the Brunswick and Waycross district attorneys. Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson last told News4Jax she welcomed the full transparency an investigation will bring. Georgias attorney general has already requested a federal investigation into the actions of the first two prosecutors who touched the case. You should not give your opinion ... publicly or privately.The conflict Barnhill cited was his son, who, according to him, worked alongside Greg McMichael in the Brunswick District Attorneys Office. Barnhill said that once the case is closed all the information will be available for public review.

His son, Travis McMichael, is the alleged shooter. We do not see grounds for an arrest of any of the three parties.”In the letter to Glynn County Police Capt. Tom Jump, Barnhill went on to go point-by-point why he felt Greg and Travis McMichael did not commit a crime in fatally shooting Arbery. “It appears Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William Bryan were following in “hot pursuit of a burglary suspect with solid first-hand probable cause,” Barnhill wrote. ... At that point, Arbery grabbed the shotgun (that Travis McMichael was holding).

WOODBINE, Fla. - A Camden County jury convicted 38-year-old Burton Daniel Bailey this week of rape, aggravated child molestation and child molestation, District Attorney Jackie Johnson announced. After a two-day trial, Bailey was found guilty in the repeated sexual assault of a St. Marys child under the age of 16 from October 2012 to December 2015. On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Stephen Scarlett sentenced Bailey, a Seattle man who fled to California after bonding out after his arrest on these charges in May, to serve two life sentences in prison. Scarlett ruled that if Bailey should ever be released on parole, he must register as a sex offender and have no contact with children, the victim or the victim's immediate family. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.