The father of Ahmaud Arbery is making bold claims about the current state of the prosecution against ex-District Attorney Jackie Johnson. Marcus Arbery Sr. has accused the case of being delayed on purpose to not hold Johnson accountable for trying to cover up his son’s murder.
Johnson was indicted in September 2021 on two counts, one felony for violating her oath of office and a misdemeanor of hindering a law enforcement officer, Newsone reported. The official was accused of attempting to protect the two men who killed Arbery while he was running in a subdivision within the Georgia city in February 2020.
On Feb. 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered during a racially motivated hate crime while jogging in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia.
The case against the former Brunswick Judicial District Attorney has been left in a stagnant state, with no substantial progression since the charges. Johnson was accused of colluding with father and son duo Greg and Travis McMichael.
“The evidence shows that Johnson showed favor and affection for McMichael throughout the pendency of the case — including when she was making decisions as the DA over his case,” detailed prosecutors’ legal filing, as reported by NBC News in May 2022.
According to the slain 25-year-old’s father, Johnson sided with the McMichael’s, utilizing her authority to undermine the incident, including trying to ensure the son would not be arrested for the crime. The father was revealed to be a former investigator who worked under Johnson up until 2019.
Her unethical closeness to those under investigation was further solidified as the Associated Press revealed 16 calls between the prosecutor and McMichael patriarch in the shooting’s aftermath. Arbery Sr. also shared, in an interview with Action News Jax, that Johnson “believed” McMicheal and subsequently attempted to “cover it up.”
While relieved of her duties for the city, Johnson is still a legal attorney in the state, with no date currently scheduled for her next hearing. Despite this, the Attorney General’s office in Georgia remains adamant that the case is still ongoing, regardless of the delay.
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