Ahmaud Arbery case gets new district attorney as DOJ weighs hate crime charges

Monday, May 11, 2020

BRUNSWICK, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says a new district attorney has been appointed in the Ahmaud Arbery case.

Carr has tapped Cobb County DA Joyette Holmes to lead the prosecution of Gregory and Travis McMichael, both charged with Arbery's murder following the incident that took the 25-year-old man's life.

DA Tom Durden originally took reins of the case, but opted to step back from it because he believes "another office is better suited from a resource perspective to now handle the case."

"District Attorney Holmes is a respected attorney with experience, both as a lawyer and a judge, and the Cobb County District Attorney’s office has the resources, personnel and experience to lead this prosecution and ensure justice is done," Carr said in a statement.

The move comes as federal involvement in the case heats up. Over the weekend, Carr asked for a federal investigation into the handling of the case that has sparked nationwide protests.

The Department of Justice is considering the request and may also file federal hate crime charges against the McMichaels, according to the Associated Press.

“The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been ing and will continue fully to and participate in the state investigation. We are assessing all of the evidence to determine whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate. In addition, we are considering the request of the Attorney General of Georgia and have asked that he forward to federal authorities any information that he has about the handling of the investigation. We will continue to assess all information, and we will take any appropriate action that is warranted by the facts and the law," Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec said.

Video of the shooting was leaked to social media and quickly went viral.