Brunswick Judicial Circuit (Appling, Camden, Glynn Jeff Davis, Wayne counties)
District Attorney Jackie Johnson of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit earned her national fame following her handling of the Ahmaud Arbery death investigation, but there are plenty of other misdeeds before Arbery that landed Johnson in hot water.
Recusal and Conflict of Interest Issues
- May 27, 2020 — DA Jackie Johnson Takes Aim at Online Publication, Threatens Legal Action
- Jun 1, 2020 — AG Records Show Brunswick DA Appointed Her Own Special Prosecutor to Remedy Conflict
- Jun. 10, 2020 — Brunswick DA Jackie Johnson Recuses Herself from Another Case After Media Scrutiny
- Sept. 27, 2020 – Arbery Family Friend Says DA Jackie Johnson Continued to Meet with Family Despite Recusal
The Glynn County Police Department
- Feb. 5, 2020 — COLUMN: The District Attorney’s Office That’s Prosecuting Cops for Noncriminal Offenses
- Sept. 13, 2020 — Voters Won’t Decide Fate of Glynn PD After Judge Says Referendum is Unconstitutional
- Oct. 22, 2020 — Dereliction of Duty: Brunswick DA’s Office Reportedly Refusing to Assist Police
- Feb. 11, 2021 — Glynn County Hires ‘Special Advisor’ for Police Department
- Aug. 16, 2021 — Ghosts of Former Brunswick DA Linger as Grand Jury Prepares to Consider Johnson’s Pet Project
The Deaths of Cory Sasser, Katie Sasser, and John Hall, Jr.
Jun. 15, 2020 — Brunswick DA Signed Off on Bond Despite Recusal in Infamous Sasser Case (Change.org petition demanding accountability)
Reelection Campaign Amidst Negative Headlines
- July 21, 2020 — Campaign Finance Reports Show Brunswick DA Counted $45,000 Personal Loan Twice for Repayment
- Sept. 30, 2020 — RECORDS: After Mailer Slamming Opponent as ‘Liberal,’ Records Show Johnson Voted Dem 25% of the Time
- Nov. 3, 2020 — Voters Oust DA Jackie Johnson in Brunswick Judicial Circuit
Chickens Come Home to Roost
- May 12, 2021 – Attorney General Chris Carr requests GBI to investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct
- Sept. 20, 2021 — Fmr. Brunswick Judicial Circuit DA Jackie Johnson Indicted in Glynn County
Friends of Jackie Johnson
George Barnhill Must Go Grassroots Effort
Over 1.2 million people sign petition to disbar Waycross DA George Barnhill
The investigation into Jackie Johnson would not have resulted in her defeat and indictment without a broad effort by multiple media outlets. Some of those include:
[Baxley Informer] Corruption At Its Finest: District Attorney Jackie Johnson
[Baxley Informer] Ahmaud Arbery: Jackie Johnson’s Latest Coverup
[Baxley Informer] Corruption: Jackie Johnson’s Path To Destruction
[Baxley Informer] Jackie Johnson’s Culture Of Corruption
[Baxley Informer] OFF WITH THEIR HEADS: Jackie Johnson’s most recent attempt at silencing her constituents
[Baxley Informer] UPDATE: Ahmaud Arbery Exposé
[Baxley Informer] Corruption: The Path To Destruction, Part 2b
[Baxley Informer] Jackie Johnson: Removal From Office?
[Baxley Informer] Tragic Death Under Sheriff Mark Melton’s Watch (Kelsey Rayner)
[Baxley Informer] Part Two: A Tragic Death, The Sheriff’s Failure, and Jackie Johnson’s Protection Of Her Own
[Baxley Informer] Married to Deception
[Baxley Informer] Part Three: A Tragic Death, The Sheriff’s Failure, And Jackie Johnson’s Protection Of Her Own
[Baxley Informer] DA Jackie Johnson’s Arrogance And Disregard For The Jury
[Baxley Informer] Major Update: DA Jackie Johnson’s Arrogance And Disregard For The Jury
[AJC] Ga. prosecutors fight to keep man in prison despite evidence he’s innocent
[Brunswick News] Prosecutor’s actions in Perry case raise concerns
Ahmaud Arbery Case Timeline
2/23/20 – Ahmaud Arbery is killed
2/27/20 – Jackie Johnson formally asks for appointment of independent DA
[April 2020] – DA George Barnhill pens a letter to Captain Tom Jump of the GCPD in which he clears the McMichaels (Prosecutors in McMichael case would later try to keep this letter from coming into evidence at trial)
4/7/20 – Barnhill asks Attorney General to appoint DA due to ‘conflict of interest’
5/5/20 – Now-infamous video of Arbery being shot goes viral after it’s posted by a Brunswick radio station; GBI begins investigating Ahmuad Arbery death but does not announced until 5/7/20
5/8/20 – Georgia NAACP calls on Johnson to resign
5/9/20 – Glynn Co. Commissioners release statement, distance from Jackie Johnson
5/10/20 – Attorney General Chris Carr requests US Attorney’s office to examine possible prosecutorial misconduct
5/11/20 – Carr names Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes as the prosecutor
5/12/20 – Attorney General Chris Carr requests GBI to investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct (here’s the formal letter)
5/19/20 – DA George Barnhill says he welcomes investigation into his/Johnson’s handling
5/20-21/20 – GBI executes search warrants, makes arrests in Arbery murder
6/3/20 – Judge rules there’s probable cause to move forward and binds the case over to Superior Court
6/24/20 – George McMichael, Travis McMichael, and Willian Bryan are indicted
8/20/20 – 300+ attorneys across Georgia call on Johnson to resign from office
11/3/20 – Johnson is unseated by Independent Keith Higgins
4/28/21 – Federal grand jury indicts McMichaels & Bryan
10/18/21 – Jury selection begins for state case
11/3/21 – Jury is selected
11/24/21 – Jury returns ‘GUILTY’ verdicts for McMichaels and Bryan
1/7/22 – All three defendants are sentenced
