A Georgia judge has dramatically thrown the case against the former public prosecutor who is accused of protecting the white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery.
Former public prosecutor Jackie Johnson was accused of violating her oath of the office and hindering the police investigation into the death of Arbery – with people who believed that she protected the men who killed him five years ago.
However, a judge ended its trial on Wednesday and stated that the persecution did not demonstrate 'one scintilla of evidence' that she influenced the investigation.
Arbery, 25, was chased and shot by three white men – Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr. – That pick -Up trucks drove while he was on his way in February 2020.
Johnson served as an public prosecutor for Coastal Glynn County when Arbery was killed and was accused of protecting Gregory McMichael because he was a former researcher in her office.
The men initially told the police that they acted in self -defense because they thought Arbery was a burglar. Gregory McMichael even called Johnson an hour after the murder to ask for advice.
More than two months passed without arrests in the death of Arbery to the video of the mobile phone of the recordings leaked online.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from the local police and Arbery's pursuers were all sued and later convicted of murder and federal hate crimes.
Former public prosecutor Jackie Johnson (photo) was accused of violating her oath from the office and hindering the police investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery
Ahmaud Arbery (photo), 25, was chased and shot by three white men who were driving Pick -Up Trucks while he was on his way in February 2020
Johnson was charged in September 2021 after the attorney -general Chris Carr had ordered an investigation into possible misconduct.
However, prosecutors for the Carr office struggled to make a business after her trial started last week.
They suffered a big blow when Gynn County Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Oliver testified that she and Johnson never spoke about Arbery's case.
Oliver was one of the two officers mentioned in the indictment in 2021 and accused Johnson of obstruction by “leading that McMichael should not be placed under arrest.”
After Oliver's testimony, senior judge John R. Turner threw the obstruction out.
“There is not one scintilla of evidence that I have heard that a judgment about that count would allow,” Turner said.
Public Prosecutors claimed that Johnson manipulated the police investigation because of her connection with Gregory McMichael.
“She presented the interest of her former lead investigator and her old friend for a victim,” said Justice John Fowler.
Johnson's main lawyer, Brian Steel, insisted that she was innocent. He said that the only advice she gave to McMichael after the shooting was: “Get a lawyer.”
Steel said that Johnson immediately withdrew himself and handed the case to a public prosecutor.
Travis McMichael (left), his father Gregory McMichael (center) and William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr. were convicted of Arbery's murder and federal hate crimes
Johnson was sued in September 2021 and accused of protecting Gregory McMichael because he worked in her office
The prosecutors claimed that Johnson abused her power by the attorney -general to appoint an external public prosecutor that Johnson knew he had already advised the police to make arrests.
Fowler said that Johnson never announced that George Barnhill, the first of three external justice assigned to the case, had concluded that Arbery's murder was not a crime.
Steel said that Johnson had called in Barnhill the day after the shooting to advise the police because her relationship with Greg McMichael was a conflict of interest. But he denied that Johnson recommended Barnhill when she later asked the attorney general to appoint a public prosecutor.
“Jackie doesn't recommend anyone,” Steel told the jury. “You will see the letter.”
Barnhill testified on Friday that he had independently advised the police without Johnson input.
On Wednesday, Turner granted a defense challenging that used the indictment to accuse Johnson was deadly inadequate due to technical errors.
“To be honest, this is a decision that I didn't want to make,” Turner told lawyers in the courtroom. But he said he felt the challenge of the defense before the indictment against Johnson must be “granted.”
Defense lawyers for Johnson asked the judge to reject the charge last week. Turner postponed the statement until Wednesday morning.
More than two months passed without arrests in the death of Arbery to the video of the mobile phone of the recordings leaked online
Johnson's lawyers argued the indictment of her ownership of her oath of the office: it mentioned the oath that Johnson signed when she was appointed public prosecutor in 2010 to fulfill the unfinished term of her predecessor .
The oath went when Johnson took a new oath after winning the 2012 elections. She took it again after she was re -elected in 2016.
Johnson was voted out of the office in November 2020 after 10 years as the public prosecutor for the judicial circuit with five provinces of Brunswick. She largely blamed her defeat on controversy about the case, which broke out months earlier.
The office of the attorney general released a statement on Wednesday in which they defend their decision to accuse Johnson.
“Like I said to his family and many others: if that was my child, I would like to know that everyone did everything possible to ensure that justice was served,” Carr said.
'That is what we fought for every day, and in September 2021 a Grand Jury of Gynn County chose to sue former Brunswick da Jackie Johnson. We are in the event that we have presented, and we regret that the jury will not decide. '
