Brunswick honors Ahmaud Arbery day after end of hate crimes case
A crowd of dozens chanted on a sweltering street corner Tuesday as Ahmaud Arberyโs 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 โ a crime local officials vowed to never forget.
Former pastor Ken Adkins demanding new trial, claims prosecutorial misconduct on part of Jackie Johnson
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.
Georgia Bar dismisses complaints against attorneys involved in Ahmaud Arbery death investigation
Georgia State Representatives Sandra Scott, Viola Davis and two other lawmakers filed complaints in January to the State Bar of Georgia against attorney Jackie Johnson and George Barnhill following their handling of Ahmaud Arberyโs death investigation.
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Probe sought into ex-Brunswick DAโs conduct in Ken Adkins case following indictment
One day after former Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson turned herself in at the Glynn County Sheriffโs Office, pastors and community leaders are calling for a formal investigation into Johnson's conduct in another case she handled.
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Prosecutor drops charges in 2017 triple slaying in Brunswick
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.
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Ahmaud Arberyโs mother sues, alleges conspiracy to protect his killers
Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan each made first court appearances last month from the Glynn County Jail. BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ One year after Ahmaud Arberyโs 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. โIf not for the video of Ahmaudโs 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,โ the suit said. Jason Sheffield, the attorney for Travis McMichael, responded with a statement noting the one-year mark since Arberyโs death and respectful of Cooper desire to get justice for her son.
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Ahmaud Arberyโs mother sues, alleges conspiracy to protect his killers
Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan each made first court appearances last month from the Glynn County Jail. BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ One year after Ahmaud Arberyโs death, his mother filed a federal lawsuit alleging there was a conspiracy to protect those responsible for killing her son. were part of a โdeliberate effort to cover up Ahmaudโs murder.โArberyโs 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. โIf not for the video of Ahmaudโs 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,โ the suit said.
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Keith Higgins unseats Jackie Johnson as Brunswick district attorney
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 Johnsonโs 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.
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Activists call for removal of district attorneys over Ahmaud Arbery case
BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ Activists are demanding Georgiaโs 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. Arberyโs 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.
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Independent challenging Brunswick district attorneyโs re-election
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 Johnsonโs 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 couldnโt answer the phone fast enough.โCAMPAIGN WEBSITES: Keith Higgins | Jackie Johnson
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Georgia voters will decide fate of Glynn County Police Department
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.
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Georgia lawmaker calls for removal of embattled DA
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.
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South Georgia lawmaker calls for governor to remove Brunswick district attorney
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.
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Ahmaud Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled
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.
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Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled
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 โ 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.
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Ga. district attorney fires back after accusations she stopped arrests following Ahmaud Arbery shooting
BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ Sheโs 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 thatโs a lie. Speaking publicly about the case for the first time last week, Johnson also told a Southeast Georgia radio station that sheโs the victim of retaliation. Gregory McMichael once worked for Johnson as an investigator, and thatโs why Johnson says she knew she couldnโt get involved. โI 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.
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NAACP calls for investigation into history of inequality
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.
Timeline: Key events in the investigation into the killing of Ahmaud Arbery
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.
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Hundreds rally in Georgia to protest handling of Ahmaud Arbery case
GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. โ From Atlanta to Brunswick, organizers of the Just Georgia Coalition say they were in Glynn County on Saturday to โfight the good fight.โHundreds 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 Saturdayโs rally -- the Georgia NAACP, New Georgia Project, ACLU Georgia and dozens of other organizations.
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I-TEAM: Controversial Glynn County cases back under the microscope
The U.S. Department of Justice has another request to investigate the Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick District Attorneyโs 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.
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Members of Congress, national prosecutors group critical of DAs in Ahmaud Arbery case
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.
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Ware County prosecutor saw โno grounds for arrestโ before passing on Arbery shooting death
His son, Travis McMichael, is the alleged shooter. We do not see grounds for an arrest of any of the three parties.โIn 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. โIt appears Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William Bryan were following in โhot pursuit of a burglary suspect with solid first-hand probable cause,โ Barnhill wrote. ... At that point, Arbery grabbed the shotgun (that Travis McMichael was holding).

Camden County man convicted of repeatedly raping child under 16
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.