OUTSIDE HELP

Outside Judge Tapped to Preside Over Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder Case

A Savannah judge will preside over the trials of Arbery’s alleged killers after all five judges in the legal circuit where he was slayed recused themselves.

A Savannah judge has been tapped to preside over the trials of Ahmaud Arbery’s alleged murderers after all five judges in the legal circuit where he was killed recused themselves, the Associated Press reports. Superior Court Judge Timothy R. Walmsley was appointed to the cases of Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, who were arrested and charged with murder after video footage revealed that they chased Arbery—an unarmed black man—while he was jogging in Brunswick on Feb. 23 and fatally shot him. The murder case has been heavily scrutinized after it came to light that Gregory spent nearly 25 years working as an investigator for Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who recused herself from the investigation due to a conflict of interest. The case was then pushed to Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney George E. Barnhill, who also recused himself.