DA Accused Of Mishandling Arbery Murder Loses Reelection Bid

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Outgoing Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson and District Attorney-Elect Keith Higgins

Credit: File Photo / Higgins campaign

The coastal Georgia District Attorney heavily criticized for her handling of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery has lost her bid for reelection.

Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson lost by about 5,000 votes to former prosecutor Keith Higgins, who ran as an independent in the five-county circuit.

At protests over authorities’ handling of Arbery’s killing, many called for Johnson to resign. People also collected signatures at those protests to put her opponent on the ballot.

Higgins said Wednesday that people wanted another option.

“I couldn’t answer the door fast enough or answer the phone fast enough,” he said. “People were wanting to sign the petition, and also get signatures on the nomination petition so I could be on the ballot.”

Johnson recused herself from the Arbery case because one of the white men involved in killing the 25-year-old Black jogger used to work in her office.

But Glynn County officials said her office still advised police not to arrest the suspects. They were not arrested until more than two months later, after state investigators stepped in.

Three men now face murder charges in Arbery’s death.

District Attorney-elect Higgins thanked voters for turning out to support him.

“I am intending to earn their vote — the votes of those who voted for me as well as the ones that did not vote for me — by how I operate the office and by bringing a greater degree of justice to the criminal justice system,” he said.

Higgins will take office in January.