BRUNSWICK — After a 2½-day delay brought on by a rare winter storm along Georgia’s coast, prospective Glynn County jurors returned to the courthouse Friday in the trial of their former district attorney.
Jackie Johnson, who spent a decade as DA of the five-county Brunswick Judicial Circuit, stands accused of hindering the police investigation into Ahmaud Arbery’s February 2020 murder.
The 25-year-old was chased down by three white men in pickup trucks and killed with a shotgun while jogging through the Satilla Shores neighborhood just outside Brunswick. Arbery’s shooting sparked widespread protests and allegations of racist vigilantism after cellphone footage of the Black man’s killing was leaked online more than two months later.
Johnson is accused of instructing two Glynn County police officers not to arrest Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shotgun blasts. His father, Greg McMichael, who once worked as an investigator in Johnson’s office, left a frantic voicemail on his former boss’ phone minutes after Arbery’s killing.
“Could you call me as soon as you possibly can?” he said. “My son and I have been involved in a shooting and I need some advice right away.”
The McMichaels were convicted of murder in 2021, along with neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, who filmed the chase and deadly shooting. All three men were convicted of federal hate crime charges the following year after prosecutors successfully argued they targeted Arbery because of his race.
Johnson’s trial formally began Tuesday morning, but more than 200 prospective jurors were sent home ahead of Wednesday’s ice storm that toppled trees and led to widespread power outages across Glynn County.
Credit: Shaddi Abusaid/ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Shaddi Abusaid/ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The high-profile nature of Arbery’s killing and alleged cover-up means most prospective jurors are already familiar with the case. Across town, bumper stickers reading “#IRunWithMaud” are still seen regularly. The social media hashtag became a rallying cry for many who called for justice in the aftermath of Arbery’s death.
Some of the potential jurors questioned Tuesday were dismissed after acknowledging they couldn’t be impartial in Johnson’s case.
“The good ol’ boy system is rampant in this county,” one woman wrote in her juror questionnaire.
She said she closely followed the murder trial and was happy with the verdict, but that she wouldn’t feel comfortable serving on the jury.
“Everyone’s got an opinion on both sides,” the woman said before being excused by the judge. “I don’t see how someone could not have some semblance of an opinion.”
Others said Johnson was simply doing her job and that they didn’t believe she’d been treated fairly.
“Smelled like a witch hunt to me,” one man said. “Sounds like she relied on information she got from people she trusted.”
He was also dismissed from the jury pool.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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