Carr Requests GBI to Conduct Investigation into Handling of Ahmaud Arbery Case

May 12, 2020

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr yesterday formally requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), led by Director Vic Reynolds, to conduct an investigation related to the conduct of the District Attorneys of the Brunswick and Waycross Judicial Circuits in the Ahmaud Arbery case. This case involves the deadly shooting of Mr. Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia on February 23, 2020 within the Brunswick Judicial Circuit.

“When a district attorney is unable to take on a case due to a conflict, our office must appoint another prosecutor to handle the case,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Unfortunately, many questions and concerns have arisen regarding, among other things, the communications between and actions taken by the District Attorneys of the Brunswick and Waycross Circuits. As a result, we have requested the GBI to review in order to determine whether the process was undermined in any way.”

It is the responsibility of the Attorney General under O.C.G.A. § 15-18-5 to appoint a prosecutor when a district attorney’s office is disqualified from a prosecution. The law provides that the Attorney General can only perform that function when notified of a conflict by either a district attorney or the presiding judge. These appointments require that the Attorney General be provided with correct and sufficient information and the purpose of the investigation requested is to determine whether that occurred in this case.

This office will be providing any information or assistance that the GBI may require in furtherance of this investigation.

A copy of the letter is available at law.ga.gov.