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George Barnhill recall, Waycross Judicial Circuit District, Georgia (2020)
| Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Georgia Georgia recall laws Special district recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall George Barnhill from his position as the district attorney for the Waycross Judicial Circuit District in Georgia did not go to a vote in 2020. The recall petition was filed with the Secretary of State on June 15, 2020. Recall supporters had 45 days to collect approximately 22,000 signatures from registered voters in the Waycross Judicial Circuit District to get the recall on the ballot.[1] They did not collect enough signature before the filing deadline.[2]
The recall effort started after Barnhill said no charges were warranted in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed on February 23, 2020.[3][4] Barnhill took over the case from Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who recused herself on February 27, 2020. Barnhill later recused himself from the case on April 7, 2020, due to his son having a connection to Arbery in a former prosecution case. Both Barnhill and Johnson were subjects of federal and state investigations into the handling of the case at the time of the recall effort.[1]
Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested and charged with Arbery's murder on May 7, 2020, after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation became involved in the case. A third suspect, William “Roddie” Bryan, was also charged.[3][4] The Glynn County Grand Jury indicted the McMichaels and Bryan on nine counts each on June 24, 2020.[5]
Recall supporters
Oneida Oliver-Sanders, one of the organizers of the recall effort, said she and others started the recall process due to Barnhill's failure to file charges in Arbery's case.[4]
Recall opponents
Barnhill had not responded to the recall effort as of July 10, 2020.[6]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Georgia
The recall petition was initially filed with the Ware County Board of Elections on May 29, 2020.[3] Barnhill filed a legal challenge against that petition.[4]
The next step for recall supporters was to file an application for the recall petition with the Georgia Secretary of State with at least 100 signatures from sponsors. Recall supporters filed the application on June 15, 2020, with more than 200 signatures. After the recall petition was approved, supporters were given 45 days to collect approximately 22,000 signatures of registered voters in the Waycross Judicial Circuit District, which was equivalent to 30% of eligible voters at the time of Barnhill's last election.[1][6]
Georgia recall law requires circulators of recall petitions to be eligible to vote in the recall election. Recall supporters filed a lawsuit calling that requirement unconstitutional. The Georgia Secretary of State did not file an opposition to the lawsuit and entered into a consent order on June 19, 2020, agreeing not to enforce that requirement.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Law.com Daily Report, "Backers of Bid to Oust Waycross DA Barnhill Sue Over Recall Petition Requirement," June 17, 2020
- ↑ Atlanta. News. Now. "GBI seeks video of Waycross police shooting," August 10, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Blackshear Times, "Caravan petitions for DA Barnhill’s recall," June 2, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Brunswick News, "Recall drive for Ware DA Barnhill stalled," June 6, 2020
- ↑ davisvanguard.org, "Grand Jury Indicts Ahmaud Arbery’s Suspected Killers on Murder Charges," June 25, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 First Coast News, "Activist group seeks to remove Georgia DA from office following Ahmaud Arbery shooting," July 10, 2020
- ↑ Law.com Daily Report, "Raffensperger Drops Rule Limiting Effort to Recall Waycross DA Involved in Ahmaud Arbery Case," June 22, 2020
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