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After Charges in Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing, a New Prosecutor Will Lead the Case Killing of Ahmaud Arbery Is Switched to a Fourth Prosecutor
(about 1 hour later)
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Georgia attorney general on Monday named a new prosecutor to oversee the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old black man whose killing has drawn national attention and stirred protests after a video circulated showing his fatal encounter with two white men who have been charged with murder.BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Georgia attorney general on Monday named a new prosecutor to oversee the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old black man whose killing has drawn national attention and stirred protests after a video circulated showing his fatal encounter with two white men who have been charged with murder.
The prosecutor, Joyette M. Holmes, comes from Cobb County in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where she is the first African-American to serve as district attorney. In naming Ms. Holmes, Attorney General Chris Carr noted that she would bring to bear the resources of one of Georgia’s largest prosecutor’s offices.The prosecutor, Joyette M. Holmes, comes from Cobb County in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where she is the first African-American to serve as district attorney. In naming Ms. Holmes, Attorney General Chris Carr noted that she would bring to bear the resources of one of Georgia’s largest prosecutor’s offices.
Ms. Holmes becomes the fourth prosecutor in a case that has been marked by outside scrutiny and squabbling between law enforcement officials over how it’s been handled.Ms. Holmes becomes the fourth prosecutor in a case that has been marked by outside scrutiny and squabbling between law enforcement officials over how it’s been handled.
She will take on the prosecution of Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, who were charged with murder and aggravated assault after they took up weapons and pursued Mr. Arbery in a pickup truck. Travis McMichael fatally shot Mr. Arbery after getting out of the truck, the authorities said.She will take on the prosecution of Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, who were charged with murder and aggravated assault after they took up weapons and pursued Mr. Arbery in a pickup truck. Travis McMichael fatally shot Mr. Arbery after getting out of the truck, the authorities said.
The release of the video last week, months after the killing, set off a wave of public pressure calling for the McMichaels to be arrested and for criminal charges to be brought.The release of the video last week, months after the killing, set off a wave of public pressure calling for the McMichaels to be arrested and for criminal charges to be brought.
The men were arrested roughly two days later, as Tom Durden, the prosecutor who Ms. Holmes has replaced, called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A previous prosecutor on the case had asserted that the McMichaels’s actions had been covered by self-defense and citizen’s arrest statutes. The men were arrested roughly two days later, as Tom Durden, the prosecutor who Ms. Holmes has replaced, called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A previous prosecutor on the case had asserted that the McMichaels’ actions had been covered by self-defense and citizen’s arrest statutes.
The Justice Department said Monday that it was looking into whether to bring federal hate crime charges in the case.The Justice Department said Monday that it was looking into whether to bring federal hate crime charges in the case.
The case will be the highest-profile prosecution Ms. Holmes has handled since becoming the district attorney in Cobb County last year. She had spent four years as the county’s chief magistrate when she was appointed to the prosecutor’s office by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, who described her as “one of our best and brightest in Georgia.”The case will be the highest-profile prosecution Ms. Holmes has handled since becoming the district attorney in Cobb County last year. She had spent four years as the county’s chief magistrate when she was appointed to the prosecutor’s office by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, who described her as “one of our best and brightest in Georgia.”
She was the first woman, as well as the first African-American, to serve in the job. “Being a black woman, I think there’s a role that it plays and it’s one of pride in the community and one of perspective that can be given that may not have been given in the years before,” Ms. Holmes told reporters when her appointment was announced, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think those things are a bonus for Cobb County.”She was the first woman, as well as the first African-American, to serve in the job. “Being a black woman, I think there’s a role that it plays and it’s one of pride in the community and one of perspective that can be given that may not have been given in the years before,” Ms. Holmes told reporters when her appointment was announced, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think those things are a bonus for Cobb County.”
The decision to place Ms. Holmes in charge comes after Mr. Carr, the attorney general, asked federal officials to launch an investigation into the case.The decision to place Ms. Holmes in charge comes after Mr. Carr, the attorney general, asked federal officials to launch an investigation into the case.
He has pressed for an inquiry that would extend beyond the circumstances of the fatal encounter in February to the way local law enforcement officials and prosecutors handled the case as months elapsed without arrests. Officials from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said after the arrests last week that the purview of their investigation did not extend that broadly.He has pressed for an inquiry that would extend beyond the circumstances of the fatal encounter in February to the way local law enforcement officials and prosecutors handled the case as months elapsed without arrests. Officials from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said after the arrests last week that the purview of their investigation did not extend that broadly.
“We are committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset,” Mr. Carr said on Sunday. “The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers, and we will work with others in law enforcement at the state and federal level to find those answers.”“We are committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset,” Mr. Carr said on Sunday. “The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers, and we will work with others in law enforcement at the state and federal level to find those answers.”
The Justice Department said that it had asked Mr. Carr to forward information his office has about the case’s handling as it weighs initiating a broader investigation.The Justice Department said that it had asked Mr. Carr to forward information his office has about the case’s handling as it weighs initiating a broader investigation.
“We will continue to assess all information,” Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement, “and will take any appropriate action that is warranted by the facts and the law.”“We will continue to assess all information,” Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement, “and will take any appropriate action that is warranted by the facts and the law.”