The former Georgia district attorney who was charged for mishandling the case of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was gunned down as he jogged through a neighborhood, has turned herself in. On Wednesday morning (Sept. 8), ex-Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson was booked into the Glynn County Sheriff’s office. She was later released from the Glynn County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond.
As REVOLT previously reported, Johnson was indicted on counts of obstruction and violations of oath by a public officer last week. She violated her role as prosecutor when she illustrated “favor and affection to Greg McMichael” — who worked in her office for three decades before his 2019 retirement — and failed “to treat Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity.”
Last year, McMichael and his son Travis violently chased and attacked Arbery as he jogged. Their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan allegedly used his truck to block the jogger from escaping. After a scuffle ensued, Arbery was fatally shot by Travis, who allegedly called him a racial slur while standing over his dying body.
Once the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case, the McMichaels were charged with felony murder. Bryan, who recorded footage of the shooting, is also facing the same charge, although he contends he was just a witness. All men are also facing hate crime charges for the shooting.
“Yesterday was a very huge win,” Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery’s mother, told reporters last week after the indictment was announced. “I’m speechless. Unfortunately, Ahmaud is not here with us today. But losing Ahmaud, it will change some things here in the state of Georgia.”
If found guilty of violating her oath, Johnson could face one to five years in prison. She could also face up to one year behind bars if she is convicted of the obstruction charge.