Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025
Good morning. In this week’s public safety newsletter, we report on a legal battle brewing in the lawsuit involving a fatal Savannah Police shooting, preview the upcoming trial of the former Brunswick-area district attorney for her conduct related to Ahmaud Arbery and try to explain the budget problems of the current Brunswick district attorney.
As always, send your questions, comments and concerns to staff@thecurrentga.org.
NEWS: COURTS
Fight over alleged misstatements in Saudi Lee case
The City of Savannah and lawyers representing the family of Saudi Lee, a man killed by a city police officer in 2022, are pointing fingers at one another for potential jury tainting.
The city took issue with Lee’s family attorney, William Claiborne, hosting a press conference last month and comparisons he made between Lee and other high-profile Black victims of violence, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin.
Claiborne said the purpose of the press conference and releasing the body-camera footage of former SPD officer Ernest Ferguson killing Lee was to “rebut Officer Ferguson’s lies, and nothing does that better than the actual video footage,” he said.
NEWS: COURTS
Former Brunswick-area district attorney to stand trial next week
Next week marks the beginning of a major criminal trial in Glynn County: former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson.
Jury selection begins on Tuesday morning when prosecutors with the Georgia Attorney General’s office and Johnson’s high-profile defense team will whittle down a group of randomly-selected jurors who live in the county.
A grand jury indicted Johnson on charges she intervened on behalf of her former employee, Greg McMichael, and his son, during the investigation into Ahmaud Arbery’s death in February 2020. Johnson has pleaded not guilty.
The Current will be in the courtroom so be sure to watch our coverage next week.
NEWS: GLYNN COUNTY, COURTS
District Attorney Higgins’ budget woes, explained
The current Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney, Keith Higgins, continues to struggle with his budget and staff.
After a costly funding mistake was revealed last year, Glynn County commissioners are demanding the district attorney pay back $1 million in excess spending to the county. Higgins has said he has already severely cut back on staff and his current slate of prosecutors are buckling under the weight of so many cases.
Higgins is meeting with commissioners for a potential repayment plan on Jan. 21, 2025 (the same day his predecessor goes on trial next door at the county courthouse). The Current‘s Glynn County reporter Jabari Gibbs dug into the district attorney’s budget mess in an effort to make sense of it all.
Feds abandon expansion of speed rule meant to protect right whales
NOAA has withdrawn a proposal to expand protection of endangered right whales that give birth off the Georgia coast.
City of Savannah, lawyers for Saudi Lee accuse each other of tainting potential jury pool
Attorneys for the City of Savannah seek sanctions for the lawyers representing the family of Saudi Lee, killed by a city police officer in 2022. Lee’s attorneys say the city is misrepresenting facts and hosted a press conference to correct the record.
5 things to know: Brunswick DA staffing, budgets
Higgins is scheduled to present a new plan for staffing at a county work session on Jan. 21,, so he can keep his office of 12 prosecutors who are already struggling to handle the towering amount of criminal cases in their jurisdiction.
School safety among top priorities as Georgia lawmakers, Kemp jump-start 2025 Legislature
House Democrats say they support improving school security but are also pressing for gun safety measures, such as a proposal to penalize gun owners who fail to secure firearms that fall into the hands of children.
Coastal Georgia lawmakers tout environmental agenda
Comparing readers’ priorities to those of lawmakers sets up 2025 legislative session.
Details still to come, but governor says limits on lawsuit awards in Georgia his top priority
A report, written and released in November by Kemp ally and elected Insurance Commissioner John King, blamed several factors for contributing to the rising cost of insurance across the board, including what the report called “inflated medical costs” and third-party litigation funding.
Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.