The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that on September 1, former Georgia district attorney Jackie Johnson turned herself in to authorities regarding the Ahmaud Arbery case.
The attorney turned herself in after a grand jury indicted her “on counts of obstruction and violations of oath by a public officer last week.”
Charges were brought against the disgraced attorney following an inquiry by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
The former DA was released from Glynn County Detention Center on her “own recognizance,’ avoiding the $10,000 bond.
“Ahmaud Arbery’s life matters,” Ben Crump, Arbery’s family’s attorney, said. “That’s what I read when I read that indictment. It expressly stated she showed favor and affection for the killers.”
Criminal defense attorney Don Samuel questions whether the criminal prosecution of Johnson is legitimate and says, “It is just not even close in my opinion to alleging a crime against Jackie Johnson in this case.”
“I’m just shocked that the attorney general would think that this indictment even comes close to being a legitimate indictment and against a district attorney,” he added.
Related Story: Defense Lawyers for Ahmaud Arbery’s Accused Killers Want His Criminal and Mental Health Records Admitted As Evidence
Johnson is being charged with the misdemeanor in the obstruction of a police officer.
On February 23, 2020, the day of Arbery’s killing, the indictment alleges that Johnson told two Glynn County police officers not to arrest Travis McMichael, the man who fatally shot Arbery.
The other count being charged against Johnson is for allegedly violating her oath of office, failing “to treat Ahmaud Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity,” and for “showing favor and affection” to Greg McMichael, the father of Travis McMichael, and a suspect charged in the case.
As we previously reported, despite the accused suspects pleading with the court to use Arbery’s criminal record as evidence, the men were denied to present that as viable evidence as ruled by a judge.
