The Republican district attorney who has come under fire for her previous handling of the Ahmaud Arbery shooting is getting opposition this November at the ballot box.
Keith Higgins, an independent, has qualified to face Jackie Johnson, who is also under federal investigation. No Democrat qualified for the race, meaning Johnson was initially without opposition for another four-year term in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, which includes Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jefferson Davis and Wayne counties.
Higgins told The Brunswick News that more than 6,500 signatures have been verified on his petition. He only needed 3,526 after a judge cut signature amounts required statewide because of COVID-19.
Johnson, who recused herself from the case, was first appointed to the office in 2010.
Arbery was fatally shot Feb. 23 when a white father and son armed themselves and pursued Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was unarmed, who was running in their neighborhood, according to authorities. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.
A third man, William “Roddie” Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels who allegedly joined their pursuit and recorded the cellphone video of the shooting, also was subsequently charged with murder. All three remain in jail, awaiting trial.
Gregory McMichael had been a longtime investigator for Johnson’s office. Johnson recused herself but handed the case off to a second district attorney.
One county commissioner in Glynn County has claimed that officers were hesitant to arrest the McMichaels after the DA’s office told them it wasn’t necessary, but Johnson’s office has called that a “vicious lie” and denied wrongdoing.
The second prosecutor, George Barnhill, decided no charges were necessary. Barnhill was eventually removed over his own conflict of interest — his son works for Johnson and had prosecuted an earlier case against Arbery. Barnhill and Johnson are now being investigated by federal authorities. Barnhill also denies wrongdoing.
Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes is now overseeing the case.
After video of Arbery being shot emerged, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case. They arrested both McMichaels on charges of aggravated assault and murder May 7, less than 36 hours later.
Higgins has refrained from directly criticizing Johnson’s handling of the Arbery case but admits many more people wanted to sign his qualifying petition after the McMichaels were arrested.
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story was unclear about who is currently prosecuting the Ahmaud Arbery case.
