Former Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson has turned herself in after being charged with violating the oath of a public officer and obstructing the work of a police officer. Shortly after being booked on obstruction charges, CBS News reports that she was released on $10,000 bond.
Johnson is best known to the national public as the prosecutor who initially presided over the investigation into Ahmaud Arbery's death. However, she was removed from her position by voters last fall. Since leaving office, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has looked deeper into the way that Johnson handled the investigation. Last week, Carr's office released a report that alleged Johnson showed "favor and affection" to Greg McMichael, one of the three men connected to Arbery's death. In addition, Carr's office found that McMichael previously worked for Johnson's office and he advocated for his son, Travis McMichael, to not be charged in Arbery's death despite following the unarmed Black jogger. Ultimately, Carr's office found that Johnson failed “to treat Ahmaud Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity" during the course of her investigation. As a result, she was indicted earlier this month.
"Jackie Johnson— the prosecutor who allowed the truth surrounding Ahmaud Arbery’s murder to be concealed from the public was just criminally indicted by the Georgia Attorney General," Arbery's family attorney tweeted after the former prosecuted was indicted.
Johnson faces up to six years in prison if she is convicted on both charges. At this time, it is unclear when she will appear in court next.
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